To Step Out Into The Den of the Dead
by Millennial Darkness
Summary: Harry leaves Britain, done with the lies and deceit he is left with by his "friends". So he studies different fields and makes a reputation for himself as an expert warder and spiritualist, and just so happens to end up running into a certain group of spiritualists and paranormal researchers.
1. Evil Spirits All Over! Part I

**There is a really good one out there, and I have a feeling that Harry is quite the character to use. Some things from canon will have changed drastically, while other parts stay extremely close to the canon storyline before now. Anyways, I'll get into the story now.**

Harry Potter was done. Done with the magical society of Britain, done with his so called friends, done with the lies and deceit. Done being controlled. So instead of going back to Hogwarts, he threw himself into his studies and got a mastery in demonology. Including the magical arts and dark magic that went with it. Then got a mastery in runes, another in true divination from water nymphs in Greece, though it took a bit of convincing and a few favours and tasks for them. He studied mythology, and then found an exorcist to learn exorcism, and not just that of the Catholic kind either. He studied world languages with the help of the mind arts and long lost spells to ease the way for them. With the help of the Goblins he got his first job in the non-magical world as a "spiritualist", they had forgive him for the damage when he paid for it, added in extra gold as a gift, and explained the entire situation behind breaking in.

His first gig was small, just exorcising a spirit from a doll in China, and then closing off the doll from any other spiritual possession. He recommended the family be thorough and just burn the doll, they did just that. None of them liked the old thing anyways. It was from there he got more small jobs, moving onto small earth bound spirits or site bound spirits, and a few special cases for warding and such from his rune mastery. It was then his "friends" found out what he was doing. _"Harry, mate! Why are you doing this foul magic? Aren't you supposed to be a good guy?"_

 _"Exorcism isn't dark magic Ron, its actually very pure magic and energy meant to purify and release spirits bound to the mortal plane. It also prevents malevolent spirits from killing any further victims. This one case I had just last week...a malevolent spirit was possessing people and making them set themselves on fire. So many young souls lost to those flames Ron. Children." He had reasoned, but they were hearing nothing of it._

 _"There is a reason priests do not speak so highly of exorcists Harry! They become one with evil to get rid of evil! You are smarter than this! Studying demonology and mythology! And all these old spells! Most of them are dark and illegal. They were lost for a reason!" Hermione had lectured him harshly, stating false information._

 _"You claim to know more of these fields than I, a master in them?" He had dared to say, thoroughly offended that they would think he was so stupid and studied the wrong ways._

 _"I HAVE AND WILL ALWAYS KNOW MORE THAN YOU! YOU ARE SO STUPID! I'M THE SMART ONE! You were supposed to die in that fight! You got away lucky with that horrendous scar across your torso. I mean, its basically an extended and more jagged version of the one that used to be on your forehead. Stretching from the left side of your hip to the top right of your shoulder Harry, you should have died with honor instead of taking the scar and coming back! Necromancy I say!" Hermione showed her true colours._

It just went downhill from there, more and more secrets and lies had been revealed...

 _"Ginny was supposed to commandeer your bloodline, produce a few powerful children, inherit your fortune, you were going to be killed off...and we would have been rich! Mom was in on it. You ever wonder why no one ever told Black, Tonks, dad, Bill, Charlie, the twins, Moody, Shaklebolt, or the werewolf anything? They are too loyal to you! Too honest! Too set on justice for all!"_

 _"Black should have died at the ministry, Dumbledore purposely kept him there locked away in Grimmauld, he could have ordered a trial for Black at anytime as the Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump!"_

 _"Lupin was to be killed before him and Tonks could create a spawn, Teddy is next you know, he's on the hit list for Dumbledore."_

 _"They'll all be killed, starting with you." They stated together, raising their wands._

 _They were quickly struck down by Remus and Tonks, they'd heard enough, recorded it all with a recording orb, the two were screwed since Minister Amelia Bones was cleaning the place up with a fury._

Sirius had been given a fair trial and set free, Death Eaters were either dead, soon to be dead, or awaiting trial or prison transfer. The twins were being supportive, and everyone was pitching in to help him get his life together, from the broken pieces it had been before the war, during the war, and even after the war. However, his troubles still did not end until he cut off ties with Britain, forbid them, he got restraining orders through foreign ministries and immunity from them so that he could not be dragged back to Britain against his will. Then, he moved to Japan, since they had a wide variety of paranormal activity happening quite often.

Taking his first few steps into Japan, he was called almost immediately to a school to deal with an old schoolhouse. No one else was there, though he was informed he would not be the only one conducting investigation. The pay was okay, so he took it as a challenge to finish before they got there the next day. SPR, Shibuya Psychic Research, run by young 17 year old Kazuya Shibuya. He looked forward to meeting these people. The first thing he noticed was the poor structural support of the building, he made note to inform any others the building was structurally unstable, and to be careful on the walls and upper floors less they cave in.

He picked up the leftover aura energy of many teens and adults, and he noted that one or two deaths had occurred here in the past during construction, but none of those spirits stayed behind. He was shocked, so what was causing all the accidents other than the structural support of the building be dangerously poor? Regardless, he set up some detection runes, and left his magical signature to warn off any prankster magicals that could be causing the accidents. When he returned the next day he was greeted with the sight of an annoyed young man, a sheepish young woman, and a man who was currently holding in a scream or two of pain. "What in the world happened here?"

"Nothing of too much concern, an ambulance is on its way for Lin. He will be alright. This girl, however. You will be my assistant until Lin is able to return to his duties, that camera was expensive you know, this will pay off your debt." The young man spoke, the young girl was currently shocked.

"Here, I have some medical experience. Can I take a look?" Harry knelt down by the downed man, his voice a crisp and cold tone, with his accent barely affecting the language he was speaking, instead making it sound convincing.

"We are sure it is just a fracture." The teen spoke, the male one, but the older man gave his permission.

Harry gently let his magic survey the damage. He gently moved the swelling leg up so that the blood did not gather too much in his leg. The man bit back a scream despite his gentleness, so he cast a wandless numbing spell and the man relaxed, though his confusion was clear. He gently massaged the area to get the blood flowing, and then read his magic to see the results of the scan. "You have a clean break of your fibula, an easy fix. I can set the bone now, and all you'll need is a cast and some rest for your concussion. It seems mild, however, so they may keep you at the hospital or clinic for surveillance. Try to stay awake for now."

"Set it, the longer the wait the more the bone settles where it is now." The teen insisted, the man nodded his agreement, so Harry set the bone, and splinted the leg with a branch that had fallen off a nearby tree. The man's leg was raised by a box in the van, where he was currently situated.

The ambulance arrived and carted the man off, and the young girl had enough of waiting. "Hi, I'm Mai Taniyama." The young girl spoke, bowing.

Harry returned it to be polite. "I am Harridan Altair James Potter, please, call me Ri. I have no interest in hearing my full name. And you must be Kazuya Shibuya of SPR. Who was your friend?" Harry prodded gently, his voice still the same.

"Lin Koujo. My assistant. The principal informed me he brought in another young teen who was proficient in detection and warding, he must want you to ward the schoolhouse from any future presences so they can continue construction afterwards." The young man started just as coldly as he had.

The girl took in their appearances compared to hers. She was in her school's uniform, plain cream coloured shirt with dark navy colours collar and red bow, and dark navy skirt. However these two men were sharply dressed, even if the green eyed man's was a bit on the darker side. The dark eyed man she knew to be Kazuya Shibuya was dressed in a black suit, with a slightly darker undershirt with a slightly high collar. He was dressed professionally and comfortably.

The green eyed man was a bit different. He had a sharp scar across his right cheek, thin but stretching over his cheek, barely noticeable unless one studied his appearance. He had a dark purple undershirt under his black trench coat with an odd segmented tail. The bottom of the coat split into four parts, two covering the back and two that slid in the front and outwards slightly when he walked. Black slacks and boots with the laces the colour of his shirt, a ribbon tied around his neck also matching that of his shirt. His hair was slightly untamed, but was long in the front, being shorter in the back. His bright green eyes seemed to have a lethal feel to them, and they just pierced everything he laid them on coldly.

"When I did my walkthrough, I made note of a few important things. Yes, there were two deaths here previously, however their spirits did not stay here, only human auras have frequented this building, and that the building is dangerously unstable when it comes to structural support. Be careful on the upper floor, the floors and walls may cave in places if a heavy enough weight were to step on them." Harry warned, and then went inside.

"Mai, help me carry in this equipment." Was heard from outside, and the girl's indignant cry, she had class after all.

"He'll release you afterwards, and talk to your principal to make sure you can hold down your debt repayment." Harry called, and the girl grudgingly did as required.

Harry read their auras carefully. Both had a strong presence, but Shibuya's was by far the stronger of the two. His was developed and controlled, however, it could be overwhelming and dangerous to use for himself. The girl's was more attuned to spirits, undeveloped and she is unaware of them. Something a tad dangerous for her if she remains unaware of her abilities for too long. Whether by a spirit being attracted to her and latching on, or her losing control of them and the abilities becoming dangerous to her person as uncontrolled magic can do to a young witch or wizard while they are young.

The lingering presence of the man who left, Lin Koujo, gave the indication he was trained, strong in physical strength and spiritual expertise, and that he had spirits acting as his familiars. Small animal spirits, intelligent ones. And another presence that was new and had been there, female teenager, with PK abilities. Hmm, whatever. He'd assume it was just another student on a dare. He once again searched for any presence of the dead, yet found none. However, one of his runes had been slightly disrupted over the night, so he went to check on the cluster. It had shifted, one side was minimally lower than the other. At least, that's what his magic told him. He disarmed the rune, and theorized that the building itself was the cause for the disturbance of the rune. It was unstable after all.

Shibuya came up to him. "Those odd symbols placed around the schoolhouse, are those your doing?" He asked.

Harry nodded, and then sensed two more presences coming up to the schoolhouse. A few more were a bit out but approaching. "Kids? Why is there kids in this place?" A red haired woman asked.

"I am by no means a kid, miss." Harry argued, turning to set up proximity wards and more powerful sensory wards, as well as some protection wards and tampering wards. If any equipment or rune cluster was tampered with, he'd know.

"Wards and runes hm? You apart of that kid's team?"

"No, I am a separate party, as I assume you and the tree spirit weaver are also. I am Harridan Altair James Potter, call me Ri. Over there is Mai Taniyama, a stand in for Lin Koujo who was injured and carted off to the hospital not too long ago. The suit wearing teen is Kazuya Shibuya. My words of warning are that this building is structurally unstable, anything could come crashing down at any moment, my wards and runes are quite accurate at getting this kind of information. Also, I do not detect any sort of paranormal presence at this building, I believe the building and maybe the land it is on are to blame."

"And you would be right, the wells in this area are quite dry, the ground could have a hollowing effect, which would cause subsidence."

"And this kid is Shibuya? Damn. Well, I'm Hosho Takigawa, a Hakkaisou from Mt. Koya."

"And I am Ayako Matsuzaki, a Shrine Maiden."

This caused some amusement. "Aren't shrine maidens suppose to be virgins?" Kazuya spoke up.

"Yes, what are you implying?"

"Aren't you a bit old to be a maiden?" Takigawa joined in.

"Do not torment her, she is younger than she seems. And quite a talented shrine maiden. I can say this, however, all of our talents are being wasted here. There is nothing here." Harry insisted.

"Hello there, I see almost everyone is here. This is John Brown, a priest from Australia." The principal showed up with a young blonde man.

"Australia? Good to see another Englishmen around here. I'm from England." Harry spoke up, attaching to John slightly, but being wary.

"A priest? You need to be ordained and have a degree do you not?"

"Yes, I look young because I just turned 19."

"Why call in a priest? Are you just here to say blessings? I am sure the rune master here is more than capable of casting protection wards." Shibuya spoke in disbelief.

"I actually practice the ancient art of exorcism." John spoke, shocking everyone except Harry.

"I to have learned some of the practice, however I am not an ordained priest." Harry spoke up, John smiled.

"Maybe I can help you find tune your skills then."

"Maybe." The Brit finished, turning his eyes to a corner and pointing out a teenaged girl hiding there.

Mai identified her as Kuroda, a girl from her class. Harry tuned out from her spiel, he already knew he was the one with Psychokinetic abilities, and now he just needed to figure out why she craved attention so much. Most cases of poltergeists result from humans, mainly children, mostly female in the teen years. He noticed the two adults go off to do a walkthrough while he gave the same warnings to John, who requested to see the runes and have him double check, he obliged of course. "I have to say, you truly are good at thes-" He was cut off by the sound of Ayako screaming after a bang.

Harry scanned his runes. "Its not a spirit! Whatever caused this is not a spiritual entity!" Harry called out as they were running.

His tampering ward went off next. Hosho kicked the door down, releasing a slightly shaken Ayako. "What's that noise?" John asked.

"My tampering ward just went off. Someone is either messing with my runes or any of your equipment." Harry told them, Kazuya and Mai went running to make sure nothing was stolen while Harry touched a rune and sent out his magic to scan the building.

It was that girl, she was leaving the area. "I believe this was a spirit."

And there was a new presence, also female, also the same age, a powerful medium with a strong connection to the deceased. "I have to disagree, there are no spirits here." A gentle voice came from around the door as they were now in the equipment room.

"Miss Hara, I was not aware they called in a celebrity medium." Kazuya spoke.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

"No, however your reputation precedes you."

"Its easy to fake results on TV, she only gets views due to the fact she has a pretty face and wears that silly kimono all the time."

"Ayako, do not insult Miss Hara, she is a true medium." Harry spoke.

Everyone turned to face him.

"Have you watched her show?"

"No, my runes scan the presence of any who enter. They tell me she has a very strong connection with the deceased. I to cannot pick up any spirits here, however, there are many spiritually aware people who have entered this building recently, in fact, only one has no abilities. That is the principal." Harry informed them, everyone turned to look at Mai and the "just arrived" Kuroda who immediately started arguing with Masako about there being ghosts in the building.

"Are you sure?" Kazuya asked, looking very shocked.

"Yes, while Mai and Kuroda are unaware of their abilities for the most part, they are most definitely there. Kuroda has a more kinetic ability, whereas Mai is spiritually inclined, however, I cannot completely tell just how much potential they have." Harry informed them, touching a rune to Mai and another to Kuroda to get more accurate readings.

He took the two papers away, and then everyone turned to Kazuya. "What of you?"

"PK, very uncontrollable when in use, however, so I tend to not use it unless absolutely necessary." The teen answered, hiding the truth, but Harry it slide, he hadn't told anyone his true nature yet either.

He hadn't divulged any secrets, really. "So that's why he said I was talented earlier, he sounded so sure even if he hadn't known me. He could tell from our presences on his rune scans?" Ayako spoke.

"Yes." Harry responded, then Kuroda accused Mai and her friends of drawing spirits here, by them telling their ghost stories after school.

Everyone turned to a very conflicted looking Mai.

She was thinking 'are my friends and I really responsible for what's going on here?'


	2. Evil Spirits All Over! Part II

**I know, I know. The first chapter was kind of choppy and short, but I am trying alright? If you have any ideas for cases and characters for those cases that I can include, I'd love to hear them. I won't be doing every single case that the SPR crew did, this story does need some individuality. Read and suggest, right? You'll get the credit for the ideas and characters, you can even submit only one of the two. If you don't feel comfortable leaving it in the review section, PM me. Thanks! Also, I know this is being posted on the same night as chapter 1, however, I already had chapter 1 written, and finished going over this one today.**

Despite Harry and Masako saying there were no spirits at the schoolhouse, Ayako did a cleansing of the building. And Harry did note that the cleansing make the air and aura feel much more pure and calm than before. The malevolence of the problem had become ingrained over a long period of time. When she had finished the principal and his assistant were complimenting Ayako, but just as they walked past the glass windows of the building, they shattered. Sending glass flying dangerously at everyone in the surrounding area. The three closest to the glass fell, however only Ayako came of unharmed by the glass, and an ambulance was immediately sent for.

"This is all your fault, you obviously angered whatever it is that is here." Hosho accused Ayako.

"It couldn't have been, there was no presence around the glass, not even a PK presence. The energy would have stayed." Harry shot down the monk.

"Then what caused the glass to shatter hmm?"

"I don't know, but there was no energy aura that was unnatural for the glass and surrounding nature when the glass shattered." Harry defended himself, feeling ganged up on and closing up, quickly walking ahead of them into the room they were using as a base.

"Umm...Naru...was that chair in the middle of that room before? I could have sworn it wasn't there. It wasn't." Mai was in a bit of disbelief.

Naru? Seems Mai gave him a nickname. "Naru?" Questioned the monk.

"Yep, Naru the Narcissist." Mai concluded as Naru winded the tapes back to the point where the chair was moving.

The thermal scan showed no heat on the object. But that didn't rule out a poltergeist, which was the current theory. "Poltergeist?" Mai questioned.

"Mai, so you aren't lost in the future, I am going to give you some books you should read and take notes on. I will mark down the important chapters relevant to this case so far on a piece of paper which will be in the front covers." Harry informed her, pulling said books out of his bag, which he left in the corner of the room.

The girl thanked him, and set the books gently in her school bag, which was by his. She was given a short run down of what they were and the criteria for them, however. He told her to keep the books, he had the original copies in his trunk, which was shrunken down into his bag. "Can you scan the room for any leftover presence, Ri?" Naru asked, harry nodded and touched a nearby rune, establishing his connection with the others.

"The cause is human." He told them.

"Psychokinesis then."

"If the residual energy is any implication, yes." Harry confirmed.

The others looked at him with disbelief, however. "How can you tell through those little symbols?" Ayako asked, curiosity cracking at her.

"They are placed all over the building, interconnected with my energy signature like a spider web of spiritual type trip wires. Any energy presences that trip the web alert me, and I can scan quite far back since residual energy that is strong stays for centuries, sometimes if the energy is extremely ingrained...thousands of years. Some old castles have such strong energy, you can tell exactly when someone stepped into it, when an animal nested there, when the kings and queens died. These types of energy webs are uncommon but useful." Harry informed them, they looked impressed.

"Are there any drawbacks to this web of yours?"

"The area must be closed, it can't be open. The web has to be completely closed for it to accurately work, so I can't add any new area to the web without disrupting it and having to redo the whole thing, including the new parts of the web. Another drawback is that is one of the runes is disturbed it stops working, even if it is just the slightest drop of one side of the rune, say the building was sinking just a bit on one side. In fact, that happened to one of my runes the first night, very minimal, but significant to the intricacy of the rune drawing. Luckily, you can remove a rune from the web without the whole thing collapsing. Other than that, it is perfect." Harry explained, then another of the runes went down, and he shot up.

"What?"

"Another rune, just fell. On the second floor eastern wall. Shit! I never warned Masako not to lean on the walls!"

He began to race for the steps, but the creaking and breaking sounds, and the scream that followed along with a sickening thud, alerted them to the fact they were to late. "That's Masako! Call an ambulance!" Naru ordered, Mai got right on it while Harry and him went to go make sure Masako hadn't died in her fall.

* * *

She told them she had just been careless, it was an accident. Harry returned inside first while Naru was assured Masako was not fatally or permanently wounded. "Is she alright?" Mai was the first to ask.

"Yes, she leaned on the wall upstairs, my rune gave because the weak plywood up there shifted and broke, falling along with Masako." Harry muttered lowly, but they heard him and watched the dejected rune master take a seat and slouch into it.

"She will be alright, its not your fault. She had heard your warnings from the others and myself, she admitted she had just been careless while studying your rune on the wall." Naru came in with more information.

However, he felt worse. She knelt to study his rune. His work, and was injured because of it. The group began relaying theories, Harry still saying the cause was human. Naru turned to Harry. "You said the ground was unstable before, I have an idea. I may have just solved our problem." He said, and gathered a few things before going off to do an experiment.

"Maybe a blessing could help right now, John. How about you try cleansing the place."

"There is no need, there are no spirits here. The web would have picked them up."

"Prove it, can anyone else access this web of yours?"

"Yes, anyone could. Just touch the rune and focus on any living or spiritual beings." Harry informed him, the monk did just that, and stepped back in surprise.

John and Ayako tried it next, followed by Mai. "Everyone is accounted for, except one presence, that has to be the spirit." Monk insisted.

Harry touched the rune. "No, that's just Kuroda." Harry informed him, the monk looked taken back then.

Nevertheless, just in case this spirit causing trouble was of a more demonic presence, John got ready to do an exorcism.

Harry stood with the others, watching the monitors with the others as John said his prayers, but cracking noises and breaking sounds, as well as the distorting ceiling, alerted them to something so much more deadly. Mai raced from the room to warn John, she got there just in time, as he was able to clear the collapsing ceiling just as it fell. Naru returned upon hearing the loud noises, and took in the damage. "What happened here!?" He asked with some shock.

"The ceiling caved, luckily Mai acted quickly. Any later and I could have been killed." John confessed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

"In the interest of safety, we should call it a night." Naru announced, the group agreed, and locking up the schoolhouse and clearing the area.

* * *

Harry arrived last the next morning, utterly pissed. His entire rune web somehow collapsed overnight! Naru and the others were there, they were waiting for him it seems. They took in his now green laces and ribbon, and the matching shirt before looking at his face and being taken back at the pure anger shining in the otherwise cold and collected mask. "Ri? What's wrong?" Mai bravely asked.

"The web. The entire thing. Overnight the entire thing collapsed for no reason!" He answered, shocking everyone except Naru, who looked worse for wear.

"The building sunk 0.2 inches last night, would that have done it? You were right, the building and ground are extremely unstable, the dried wells have been like that for decades now. The ground had been weak before, now it is worse since there is no water to fill the hollowed space underneath this old school building. All of this is old marsh, which means this area in itself is unstable and dangerous. We should have the area closed off, this place could come down at any moment now." Naru stated, this calmed Harry.

"And that caused the closing door and shattering glass? The moving chair?"

"We saw just how unstable that floor was yesterday, the chair was moved again, however, that was right above where John was almost crushed yesterday. The pressure on the glass from a rapid sinking of the ground suddenly could have very well caused the glass to shatter. And the door was closed by a human, my web assured me of that when the incident happened." Harry defended the theory, seeing the information and definitive proof behind it.

Kuroda was insisting that there was something there, however, but she kept being debunked. Harry was about to go around and make sure all his runes were properly taken down along with his wards but the doors began to violently slide back and forth. The spiritualists that had been working around the place were thoroughly shocked. "Everyone out! Now!" Naru called over the loud noises just as more glass shattered quite violently.

"But the doors-" Mai began.

"Leave that to me!" Hosho, now being called Monk, interrupted, kicking down a weak wall, and allowing them to escape to the outside.

Ayako took Kuroda aside to be treated for her injury, while the monk spun around to face Naru. "No ghosts or spirits huh? Then what the hell was that!?"

"PK, violent at that. Distressed, overly stressed, desperate. The residual energy my last few runs are picking up is definitely human." Harry answered, this caused Monk to settle.

"I'm so angry at myself I could throw up." Was muttered to Mai before the teen left the group.

"We best call it a night, however, could you come with me to ward anything that I could be missing while I set up a much stronger and much more delicate rune web?" The green eyed teen asked, Monk nodded.

Carefully, the two returned into the building, and Monk chanted mantras to ward any malevolent beings off while Harry worked as quickly as he could. They finished after an hour, and split up for the night after Harry set up a rune ward to discourage any explorers from entering the building, it would instill petrifying fear in anyone who drew too near that wasn't a spiritualist in a sense. But the others would still have an irrational unease of the building, like the Monk was displaying, despite knowing it was just the influence of Harry's abilities.

* * *

The next morning finds Harry at the building early to dispel the ward, Mai shows up soon after to set up some of the equipment before her school hours start. Harry helps her to speed things along, quizzes her quickly on the books and their contents, before handing her some new ones and telling her she could keep them and he didn't need to repay him. They were just copies he had gotten over the years after all. In truth, he just used his magic and an anchor to permanently conjure and exact copy of each of the books. The teen was grateful, and had to leave due to school starting. That afternoon saw the rest of the group arriving, and Ayako confronting Mai over Naru 'running away'. John offers to set up a mic upstairs, while she makes sure everything is working properly, she reluctantly agreed. Harry checks his wards, Kuroda tried to approach again last night, but the ward threw her weak consciousness off and drove her away. "Why is she so persistent?" He muttered to himself, far too lowly for anyone else to hear.

But it was a good question nonetheless.

"Will you two stop it! You are adults and you are acting like children! Grow up!" Mai shouted at the two adults, breaking him out of his musings over his runes and wards.

John told them all to be quiet, pointing out the noises once again. "We know what happened last time these noises started, lets get out of here." Harry warned, and the group began to run out of the building as quickly as possible.

Not fast enough, however, since a bookshelf that hadn't been removed fell over Mai, luckily Harry managed to stop it's decent so it didn't crush the poor girl, but she was unconscious. Monk carried her out, and set her in the back of the SPR van, and waited for her to wake up. It took a few hours, but she wakes up okay. No concussion or anything, just shock. She apologized for worrying everyone, and was told that Kuroda had gone home, and that Naru hadn't yet returned. "This place is becoming far too dangerous, I think we should leave and suggest it be burned to purify it completely."

"There is no need, I still believe it is a human causing this, and that subsidence is also a factor. We should tell the truth of the subsidence, but keep the PK a secret, he'd never believe us. The area is far too unstable to do any construction unless they take the time to dig underground far enough to fill in the holes beneath the schoolhouse. And, Naru has yet to return."

"I think he ran because of us, we did kind of gang up on him." Monk says, feeling a bit guilty for his actions.

"Please remember you are referring to the world's biggest swollen headed, stuck up, self absorbed, holier than though narcissist." Mai reminded him.

"Maybe Kazuya is brimming with rage and making straw effigy dolls of all of us to seek his revenge." John suggested with all seriousness.

This caused the group to burst out laughing from the absurdity of it. Naru making effigy dolls, wouldn't happen in a long time.

* * *

It was the next morning that Mai was in her classroom bored, when her two friends Michiru and Keiko confront her about the incidents at the schoolhouse. Then they tell her that Naru called them, asking what they knew on the old schoolhouse, and inside she is brimming with rage at the thought of the fact he refrained from calling her to let her know he was alright. The jerk. "Would Mai Taniyama and Riko Kuroda come to the principal's office please." Was heard over the intercom, the two girls were given odd looks before they both walked down to the office together.

Upon entering they saw everyone sitting inside, they were in chairs around a table with an odd device sitting on top. Mai recognized the set up as a hypnotic suggestion experiment, Naru was going to try and pinpoint this all on one person. He closed the lights and the curtains, and began to conduct the experiment. Harry was a bit annoyed, he already knew it was humans causing this, but the others would need proof, and this was a way to get a definitive answer. He blanked for a bit, until the lights of the room came back on suddenly, signalling the end of the experiment. "Thank you everyone, that was all you were needed for. Oh, Mai, John, Ri, if you could come to the schoolhouse after school, I need your help setting up the last bit of the experiment." The teen spoke, the three nodded, and went on their way.

Harry was going with John to see the area they were in, he agreed that going around to do a bit of shopping and maybe put something together for everyone once the investigation was complete would be nice. Harry volunteered to help with the cooking, while John had managed to ask what everyone's favourite foods and drinks were. Even Lin's, as he was set to come back within a day or so now. Harry receives a call, its from Sirius. He hadn't spoken to his beloved Godfather since he left for Japan. He answered the call, and John continued to get the necessary snacks and supplies for their surprise. All of it was non perishable, save for the fruit platter they'd get and hopefully the case was solved within a day or so, or they'd just serve it to everyone on the Sunday that was two days away, that way everyone could have a nice lunch regardless of the case progress.

They returned to the schoolhouse after putting everything in John's hotel room fridge and cupboards, to help Naru set up his experiment. It involved a lot of writing, but Harry went one step further, setting up a tampering ward, that way they'd definitely be alerted if anyone were to tamper with the room, chair, or chalk line. It was in the middle of the night when he felt Kuroda's presence going past the wards, not tampering in the slightest. So she was behind it after all, he texted everyone except Kuroda the result of his alert wards, and went back to sleep. When they opened up the room to see the chair had moved, the case was concluded. Now all that was left was to pack up and close off the area, saying that even though the 'spirits' were gone, the school house was still dangerously unstable due to the subsidence and the old supports rotting away.

John slipped out to gather the food and drinks while Harry convinced everyone to meet up for a picnic outside during lunch, even Lin was there, as he had been since that morning. They were all pleasantly surprised upon learning what exactly the two teens had prepared for them, and happily sat and chatted (except Lin, Naru, and at times, Harry), while enjoying the nice day out. Mai did have to leave to attend classes at the end of her break, but she said goodbye to everyone. Naru said she was dismissed from her duties, and told her to have a nice day.

That left her a tad dejected. But Harry said he'd stay in touch, to coach her on her abilities and continue teaching her about the paranormal. Who knows, he might want an assistant one day.

* * *

Luckily and thankfully for Mai, Naru had called her to offer her a job as an assistant, a secondary one with mostly office work, but a position at SPR nonetheless. As for Harry, he did keep everyone's numbers with him, and have given his out. Even to Masako Hara, just in case she ever needed to call upon a Rune Master. The others put in good word for her.

She thanked him kindly for the offer, saying she may one day call upon him for help.


	3. Masako's Plea Part I

**Three reviews already? Wow, I never expected that. Thanks you guys! Alrighty, here's chapter 3. And as I stated before, if you have any ideas for future cases or characters please do share! I'm looking for at least five cases, one involving a family, another an old asylum, and at least one with an old castle or palace, maybe even a fortress. Places can be made up or real. I look forward to reading your ideas!**

It was a relaxing Sunday morning, weather was perfect, birds were chirping, and the fresh scent of fallen rain from the night before was a nice welcome to the morning. However, all was not right with the world, and Harry's phone went off. He casually lifted his hand out of bed to his phone on his nightstand, and answered it. "It's Ri."

"Ri, I'm so glad I could reach you. It's Masako, I need your help." Masako's slightly distressed voice came through.

He shot up from bed. "What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I'm on a case, an old orphanage down in the outskirts of Tokyo. Oh it's horrible, Ri. There are so many poor children here, in pain and trapped, so scared and calling out for it to just end. There are so many it actually made me Ill! That rarely ever happens. I called John first, but he was wrapped up with a case, you are the only other one who has an exorcism that doesn't hurt the spirits directly. Could you come and give these children the rest they deserve?"

"I will come as soon as I can. I'm currently in South Korea, wrapped up a warding job yesterday. I can fly out within the hour. Can you give me an estimate of how many are trapped there?"

"Hundreds. This orphanage closed after the Second World War when most of the children kept dissapearing. The caretakers had no comments, since they all died of unknown causes just before it closed down."

"I see. I'll be there tonight." Harry told her.

"Wait! I just thought I'd let you know that this is an official case of mine, meaning it's being filmed for my show."

"Those children matter more." Harry answered.

"Thank you so much, Ri. May fortune favour you."

"You as well, Masako."

It was then he sprung out of bed, ending the call and booking a seat in a flight that left in a few hours. He hurriedly packed his small amount of belongings into his trunk and bag, showered, dressed, grabbed breakfast, and left the hotel he'd been staying in. He raced to the airport, barely making his urgent flight. The flight couldn't have gone fast enough, Harry was nasty to help those kids. He knew what being an orphan was like. He knew what living with those who did not truly care for you but acted as if they did was like. He knew what their abuse was like, especially if you had...gifts not considered normal. If you had powers. Any kind, you were considered the work of the devil. A freak.

Masako had actually called him after John, but before any others. And he saw her reasoning. His specialty was runes, where as John was a full time exorcist and priest. Harry, on the other hand, practiced but was not a true exorcist in a sense. He could bless and protect, he could drive out spirits, but he had only put peaceful spirits to rest at this point. He had started with Professor Binns, that guy needed to go. Something everyone agreed on, except Dumbledore. Next he exorcised Myrtyle, she needed to move on, she crept around the bathrooms and spied on people. She was helpful during the Snake incident, but she need to go. He considered getting rid of Peeves, but the poltergeist spiced up Hogwarts life. Now that the twins weren't pulling pranks, someone needed to.

When his flight landed he flagged down a cab and directed the driver to the orphanage Masako was doing her shooting at. He got him there pretty quickly, for all the traffic was. He saw the filming crew sitting around a pale Masako, cameras were rolling. She spotted him. "Ri! Thank kami you made it so quickly." She spoke up, cameras turned to face him.

"Who's he?" A crew member asked.

"Harridan Altair James Potter, a rune master, demonologist, and spiritualist. However, I go by Ri." Harry introduced himself.

"Welcome then, to this filming set."

Harry was silent, looking at the orphanage and setting up a rune on the side of the building, then immediately taking a step back. "Haven't even stepped inside and this place reeks of miasma. Also, this is no film set, it is a place of unrest for many spirits of children. Do you even listen to Masako?"

"Apologies. What did you draw on the side of the building?"

"I will explain later, this job is more important."

"Right. Someone doenst like cameras."

"This is no place for cameras and film crews, this is something meant only for spiritualists and official paranormal researchers such as SPR to be involved in." Harry retorted, carefully opening up the old door leading inside, and stepping in.

* * *

The cameras were focused on Harry and Masako.

Camera Feed: 9:34 P.M., Crabbe Orphanage, Outskirts of Tokyo City.

Harry and Masako were walking around, occasionally stopping son Harry could set up another rune. He was silent while he worked, only referring to Masako on how many children were around the runes until he set up his rune web. "We just got a call from a fan, Masako. It's for your friend."

"We are patching them through."

"Hi! Ri, was it? What are you setting up on the walls?"

"I said I'd explain after, the job is more important."

"They will continue to pester until you answer. I learnt that early on, Harry. It is best to explain everything first off."

The green eyed teen sighed. "Fine. What I'm doing is setting up runes, these runes once closed and connected will allow me to gauge just how many children are actually in this building. It will also make sure no new spirits enter this area while I'm working, some alert wards against tampering and disruption have been put up. So that means no one touch the runes." The wizard snapped out, everyone shut up and let him work.

Once he'd drawn in the last rune he activated them and closed the web, Masako could feel the forming energy this time around before it dissapeared from her senses. Harry moved to touch one of the runes, and counted just how many people there were with him that were human before focusing on spirits. Too many to get an accurate number. "There are so many, it's like all the children that ever came here during the Second World War never left..." Harry was sickened by the thought.

"That's almost three thousand children, Harry. It can't have been all of them." Masako said is disbelief.

"Three thousand? No, there's less than that. But, there must have been foreign children that were placed here. What is the name of this place?"

"Crabbe Orphanage."

"Crabbe? That's an English name, and their family is pretty old to in the Pagan community. A pure pagan community that I grew up in...they would have been active during that war with their family head at the time...damn. That family is bad news."

"You only know of this family name because of this community you grew up in?"

"Yes, a pagan and Protestant community, going back to the Middle Ages it has existed. And while the numbers dwindle now since the families have died off due to people leaving, or murderers coming after them, their lines just not continuing since heirs do not marry or die, or the married pair are unable to conceive a child."

"Why is this family bad news?"

"Within every community there is racism. This family was only and pure pagan, however like many they hated Protestant people who came into the community. Blood purists, you could say. Most children in that age were either or in Britain, which would mean...oh these poor kids. I hope most of them were some form of Pagan."

"I see. Well, don't you have an exorcism to perform?"

"I have multiple, one won't out all these spirits to rest. If I'm lucky maybe a few of them, they've been here so long in grief, you see." Harry informed them, keeping his face mainly away from the camera.

"We want to do a quick interview before you start."

"Let me change into more appropriate clothing for an exorcism, then I may consider speaking with you." Harry shot them down, then went off to change in the back of one of their vans.

When he returned he was in plain black robes with a crucifix around his neck. His hair was pulled back, showing his two previously hidden silver earrings that hung and dangled, straight yet light. He had the ribbon around his neck still, but it was now black. His shoelaces were black as well, and the robes clung to his figure ever so slightly. "Now for that interview."

"I said I may consider it, not that I would." Harry responded.

"Please Ri, they won't stop unless they know." Masako pleaded, she seemed stressed out.

"It's not your fault, Masako. Fine, make it quick." Harry snapped, sitting down in a seat he was told to.

He looked extremely uncomfortable. "Where were you born?" "Godric's Hollow, an area of Britain."

"Where did you go to school?" "Hogwarts's School For Gifted Children." "A prodigy based school?"

"A school that takes in children with gifts, it can be knowledge or abilities such as Masako's and mine."

"Do you have any living family?" "My godson, my godfather, honorary uncle, and a few cousins." "No immediate family?"

"Not since I was one for my immediate family, and not since I was sixteen for my aunt, uncle who married in, and direct cousin."

"I see. Where did you grow up?" "Surrey with my aunt." "Did she accept your abilities?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "Not entirely, when I was younger I had a few accidents. Up until her death, she was...I can not describe her feelings. We did not communicate much despite living together for the better part of sixteen years."

Masako knew that was a lie, she didn't accept them at all, if his uncomfortable shifting was any indication.

"Why did you become a rune master and exorcist?"

"A spiritualist, is the more wide term. I did so because it felt right, I never felt right just leaving spirits to wander the living plane. They need to move on eventually."

"What was the first spirit you ever exorcised?"

"And old professor at Hogwarts, died in front of a fireplace, too much Carbon Dioxide, they said. The chimney had become clogged with something. He actually continued to teach, believe it or not, but no one cared. He was just...there. However, he bored everyone to sleep, quite literally, so despite being a century old, he went without much problem. Are you done now?"

"One more question, who taught you?"

"Mostly self study, though for exorcism and some more complicated runes, I had to contact an old exorcist living in a private location, and a fellow rune master."

"Alright, we're done. Two questions from fans." "Make it extremely quick."

"Alright. The first one is why do you wear ribbons? The second is why are your eyes so odd?"

"I wear ribbons merely because I like them. My eyes...I get them from my mother. Could you elaborate?"

"Some say they have a lethal feel to them, something about that shade of green."

"Ah...it's inherited." He answered, acting like he had no idea about it.

Harry left to start, doing as he could he said the blessings, but ended differently, imbuing magic into his words. "Ite, ad pacem in tempore adflictionis ut supra." The energy could easily be felt, but Masako still looked ill.

"Masako, did it fail?"

"No, it was quite peaceful, and the Latin words comforted many of the children for some reason. However, they are still unable to leave as a whole. Only a few were able to leave. Something is keeping them here, and I do not know what." Masako told him.

"Unless we find out what is keeping them here we will never be able to release them all, Masako."

"Is there any way to find out?"

"If this rune web doesn't work, then...but its unstable. Extremely unstable. And spirits are able to detect it one it's up, so I'll have to work very quickly for this to work properly." Harry confessed, thinking of an old rune ward meant to detect hidden presences.

The crew and Masako agreed it was needed, and Harry set to work getting the web ready. "These need to go at the four corners of the building exactly as the clock hits the next hour, outside. Come on, we need to get ready. You two, come on. One this first rune is placed, it will send out a visible line of energy, once it hits the next rune, connect the rune to the corner it needs to be placed on, go!" Harry ordered, the crew spread out, and right as the clock hit the next hour, he placed the first rune, activating it, he felt Masako place her rune right, and the next member, and then the fourth. He immediately felt the stirring of angered old spirits that had kept themselves hidden. he managed to get their faces through their energy before he was thrown back and the runes shattered. Picking himself up he raced to the entrance to the kitchen where he detected an energy spike, some of the crew were still in there.

"Get out! Now! I angered them! They'll lash out any second now!" Harry insisted, trying to push out the crew.

Just in time to, as the stove suddenly burst and flames lashed out at Harry, he managed to throw up a prepared fire deflection rune, and run from the building. Masako almost ran into him. "What happened? I felt a disturbance." Her worry was clear.

"I angered the five bastards trapping the children. They lashed out, luckily I got the film crew out before the stove lashed out with flames."

"How did you get rid of the fire so quickly?" One of the film crew members shouted.

"Fire deflection rune, fire is a common way spirits lash out." Harry informed them, holding up more of the same runes.

"Why are you so angry?" "And why did those runes shatter?"

"The runes shattered because they were unstable, and those bastards sent energy at them that disrupted them, causing them to shatter. I'm angry, not because they lashed out, I expected that. It's because they were the old caretakers, they trap the children their, toy with them, torment them even after their deaths and the deaths of the kids. They are angry not because I know who they are and that they are here, but because I let a few of the children they oppressed go, the ones they tormented the most. The other children pushed them forward...to make sure they got the rest they deserved. The eldest ones pushed the youngest ones to be free. Dammit all to hell, I'll release every last one of them and send those five fuckers to burn." Harry swore, he felt the spirits in the building shiver at his anger and magic.

With the fire definitely out, the director of the show said they'd wrap it up for the night, they were sure the spirits would just lash out again should they go back in. Masako and Harry confirmed his suspicion, Harry was a marked man by these spirits. "So now what?"

"I get dirty. I know their faces, now I need their names. I also need to brush up on my Greek and Latin, I'll need them for the rituals I intend to perform tomorrow. If you could get me some white quartz, mirth, incense in lavender and rose, and holy water, I'd be grateful. And I'll need a lot of Holy Water. A bushel of roses and lilies as well, please."

"Just what are you planning?"

"For the five bastards, a very painful exorcism ritual that targets spirits of those who deserve damnation. For the children, I'm going back to my roots and performing an old ritual usually only performed on Samhain in my family, it purifies the soul and allows peaceful rest and passage back to the land of the dead." Harry explained.

Harry immediately left for the old library, and asked to see records from the orphanage. He found what he wanted, and he had been right about the Crabbe family having funded this place. One Damascus Crabbe had actually stayed here, a blood purist extremist from Grindelwald's time, the man was convicted of torturing children from muggle born and half blood families, and even a few lesser purebloods in his eyes, including one of his many times great grandfather's.

He grit his teeth, this man was one of those who tortured the children currently. He'd definitely need the old Greek chant and the Latin family ritual. He found the second one, a Malfoy, if the hair, eyes, and facial structure had miraculously remained the same. He managed to decipher the slightly smudged ink, Lucius Malfoy. "Oh that's priceless. Wonder if this guy had the same fetish for raping muggleborns, I hope not...I spoke too soon..." Harry muttered, looking at his records.

Two counts of rape, both on little boys. Twins, the age of five. The bastard. That's two...now he found the third, Sandra Dursley, a muggle woman who took over after Malfoy had fallen from the third story of the old building onto a bunch or iron spikes that had one been used for growing tomatoes. He remembered seeing the rusted old poles when he ran to set up the unstable ward. The record says it could have actually been murder on account of the twins that died soon after their rape, dual suicide, since it seems as if the man had been thrown by something. Next up. Seems the Dursleys have always hated magic. The fourth and fifth came soon after, both died of mysterious causes. Clarissa Black and Ophelia Mabry. Clarissa shared some of the Black family features, and Mabry was a family that died out during Voldemort's reign when they refused to join, having had enough from a certain unmentionable stain on their family during the last dark lord's rampage. He can only guess those old journals referenced Ophelia Mabry. Now that he knew who they were, he could get rid of the bastards. The last three, surprisingly, were nuns. Said they were disgraces to their family and were making up for it...Harry finally understood. All these people, were jealous squibs. He'd just need to use magic to combat them, they'd be jealous and throw themselves into rage. He could use this against them.

They officially said they were punishing the spawns of the devil, and people believed them dammit. Those poor magical orphans. This was extremely personal now. What was the coincidence though, running into people from families he had put behind him. Grindlewald had sparked most of this problem, however. His war orphaned so many children, since he had some heart, and left them. He couldn't have given them a worse fate. At least Voldemort knew what orphanages were like, how nuns could treat children with magic so cruelly. He tried to kill all the children of families he took out as well, a mercy, truly.

He wouldn't let these kids suffer. He knew exactly what abuse and jealousy could spur a person to do to someone helpless and innocent. His whole life was ruined by spiteful people, after all. He gathered his notes, he was going to burn those bastards, and free those children, even if it ended up killing him.


	4. Masako's Plea Part II

**You guys are really supportive, thanks! As always, if you have any ideas for characters and places for future chapters, I'm looking for about five places, I'd love to hear them. Here's chapter 4! Also, don't sue me if there are any mistakes in the language, I use, like many other authors on this site, google translate.**

Masako met up with Harry early the next morning with what he requested, he was already dressed in very old style robes from his culture meant for rituals, though this form of dress confused many, the spirits nearby could tell very easily just what he was wearing, and the children were happy, the adults not so much.

When he told her of who exactly they were dealing with, leaving out the fact the children were magicals while the adults were jealous pureblood extremist Squibs, she was quite throughly and rightfully disgusted with these horrid people who hasn't changed even after death. The film crew was filming the entire time, taking looks at Harry's research, and showing the faces of the bastards that did this. Though Harry tried to stop them, saying that they didn't derserves to be known by many.

"What is your plan to deal with the major five spirits, Ri?" Masako asked, brimming with uncharacteristic anger.

"An old Greek chant, practically forgotten for the most part, that will drive out these bastards and destroy their souls."

"Destroy them!? Can you really risk that around the children!?" Masako exclaimed.

"Yes, because the chant only targets those who deserve damnation, in the eyes of the speaker. In my eyes, it's those five."

"I see, are you prepared for this?" Masako asked, watching Harry go through the requested purchases.

"I am, but I'd feel better if we called in some backup just in case. John or maybe even Monk being here would assure me even if I fail, that these bastards will go."

"What will happen if you fail?"

"If I fail to exorcise any of them, and they get me first, can you think of what the penalty for failure may be?" Harry spoke pessimistically.

"No!" Masako cried, realizing what he was getting at.

"Nope! There is no time! This special can only go on so long people! Come on! Get going!" The director of the show called out impatiently, that pissed Hary off.

"If you haven't realized, the danger of dying during this case is extremely high! We need someone to back us up!"

"No! Get in there!" The director called, shutting up because the cameras were rolling again.

Harry kept his glare on the crew for a few minutes, letting them feel the heat of his anger. Al of them would swear his eyes were glowing dangerously with killing intent while he glared, they much rather preferred his normal cold stare.

Harry ended up calling Monk and John anyways, to let them know of his plans, and to ask if he failed and was killed if they could come take care of the problem. The two agreed, and told him and Madako to be careful. They'd arrive as soon as they could. And they'd bring Ayako along, she could bless the place to help the children after all.

Harry prepared everything he'd need, slipping the incense into his sash, putting an amulet he had made over his head, and one for each of the other people there, leaving a few for the others when they arrived. Though John would be mostly safe due to his status as a priest. And to make sure he didn't deal with cranky film crews, he put protections over their equipment so spiritual interference didn't drain them or fry them.

Though he insisted they stay outside and allow him to deal with this, they refused. Harry went inside to start, starting with Dursley. He started with a traditional Catholic exorcism, seeing as the Durlsey family were always hardcore Catholics until Vernon and Marjory Dursley spoke of it being freakish to believe in something that is not there. He pushed his magic through his words, stating them clearly. He knew he was being rushed, so with some ashes he had picked up previously he drew another cross in the air, and spoke the old chant in Latin. Her scream was the last thing heard of Dursley.

He felt the children getting excited as he started the Greek chanting, this time, it was Ophelia Mabry who came forward, fire spitting towards him from the sides of the walls. However, she didn't get very far, her screams as her own fire turned on her and burnt her soul from existence forever, along with the fact he knew Dursley was also feeling the same fate, he had succeeded in getting rid of two of the five.

He started chanting it a third time, focusing on Crabbe next, the one who started this hellhole. If there was one thing he knew of the Blacks and Malfoys, they were stubborn and cunning bastards, for all their heinous deeds they were extremely intelligent. Theyd fine a way out of he went after them next. The flames began spitting at him violently, much more violently than before. Interrupting him briefly as he was licked with a flame on his cheek, however, he did finish the chant, and the flames once again turned on the spirit to burn his soul for eternity. His screams and shrieks actually scared some of the crew members.

That left Black and Malfoy. He was about to chant again, however, he was thrown into a wall. The hit was so hard, he actually lost consciousness for a few seconds. He shook off his stupor just in time to avoid being burnt alive. He knew the Malfoy were French at that point in time, mostly, so he chanted it in Greek first, didn't work against the man. Next he tried Latin, again, it only infuriated him. He spoke it in a mix of French and Greek, and the chant finally sent the bastard packing.

The last one, was Ophelia Black. She miraculously showed herself as a full bodied apparition. He was thrown into a wall by a strong burst of wind, and the burnt again by a fire spitting from the walls. Harry fell over, exhausted by this point. He began to chant the Greek very viciously, pouring as much of his magic into his words as he could, he felt cracks forming under his feet from the pressure his magic exuded. He paid it no mind, however. Continuing to the chant for a second time. "Να είστε καταδικασμένοι για τις αμαρτίες σας. Πηγαίνετε από το θνητό αεροπλάνο επειδή δεν ανήκετε. Οι ενέργειές σας θα είναι η πτώση σας, η κόλαση θα καίει για την ψυχή σας μέχρι να πληρώσετε την έκτασή σας. Μετανοήστε και τιμωρήστε, επειδή οι αμαρτίες σας είναι εκείνες της θλίψης του καταπιεσμένου!"

His tone was vicious and cold, wind whipped around him and his eyes seemed to glow with his fury, they seemed to get brighter as he spoke the last word, flaring as Ophelia burst into flames, shrieking and trying to command the fires and winds to harm the other occupants of the room they were in. She took the longest to burn, her madness no doubt keeping her there. The wind died, the flames vanished, leaving the rom in darkness.

He knelt on his knees, getting a vial of his own blood and dipping his finger into it, drawing out a circle and putting the symbols of the four elements at each of the corners, he drew a gothic looking cross in the middle, and a pentacle connecting to that, creating a field of energy to help him release all the children, still trapped here due to the reasons surrounding their deaths. He paused to hear Masako gasp, and comfort one of the spirits who were patiently waiting to be released. "They did terrible things, but have no fear, young ones, Ri will set you free at last."She's right, and may Lady Magic guide you as well." Harry muttered under his breath, but the spirits were very glad to hear that, the older children at least, would have had maybe their first or second year at Hogwarts before their deaths.

He set the incense and mirth in the middle of the circle, lighting the myrrh and incense to set a very comforting and relaxing scent in the room. He laid down the flowers just before the lit incense, and held the quartz in open palms. He stood, allowing his magic to wash over with a calming aura, with what little energy he had left. "Cum pace tua fiat plenam vitae ipsum semen domus nostras quoniam diligimus habent memoriam. Depressum accipit huiusmodi magicae tuam: qui coronat te quia vita et amor, odium, et in error. Sit tibi semper erit liberum." He spoke, his voice now gentle and welcoming, as if speaking with close friends.

The children crowded him, he just knew, and then left. Moved on, to join their loved ones they lost almost eight decades ago. Harry collapsed as the circle lit up and burnt everything within it, and vanished without ever leaving a mark. Masako rushed over, steadying Harry just as Monk and Ayako arrived. "Is he alright?" Monk asked.

"Yes, just exhausted." Harry replied, shifting his weight onto Monk since he'd be able to help him easier.

"What were you saying?"

"That is for me to know, and you to find out. Eventually." harry chuckled, allowing Monk to practically carry him out of the old building to his car.

Ayako had gathered his things, then went inside to purify the building. Monk also said his prayers outside in the yard, since the location needed the purification, less another spirit take up inhabitancy with the lingering malevolent energy. Ayako gathered his belongings and brought them to them, Saying he needed the rest. He made sure everything was there summoning what had fallen out when no one was paying attention, and allowed himself to be driven to where John had set up a room for the both of them.

One there, John greeted him and helped him inside alongside Monk, he immediately collapsed into bed. "Ri?"

"Yes, John?"

"Want to come see Australia? I'm sure Sydney would interest you greatly."

"As long as I don't have to work with the deceased, sure!"

"I'm sure some time on the beach and seeing a few children at the orphanage would be good for you."

"Sounds great."

...

"So what do you want for supper?"

...

"Ri?"

...

"Ri?"

...

"Ah. He fell asleep."


	5. Silent Christmas Part I

**I decided to skip The Ghost in the Park, it was one of those episodes that were alright just the way it was, not saying the other episodes weren't. As always, share your ideas for cases! Thanks!**

Harry was woken by a phone, it was about a month after the orphanage incident. "Ri speaking, what's up Mai?"

He'd become a bit closer with the SPR group.

"You will not believe the case we had today."

"Oh really?"

"It was at the park, one of Masako's friends called asking to help them get rid of a ghost dumping water over couples at the park they were filming in." The younger teen explained.

"Only couples?"

"That's right. She'd been in love with a man, he seemed to devote himself and his attention to her, however one day she was walking home with groceries when she saw him with another woman. She went over to say hello, and ask who the other girl was. But he acted as if he didn't know her! Can you believe him? What happened next was horrible. He dumped a water bottle on her and told her to get lost. After that, she tried to commit suicide multiple times in the very park she's in now, but failed every time due to very fortunate circumstances. However, what killed her later was a fall onto the bridge exiting the park, a cat startled her and she went off the edge. The head trauma of hitting her head on the metal had killed her."

"Interesting. But why did she target other couples then?"

"Jealousy. We only found this out once she possessed Masako, it was hilarious but also weird. To help her move on, we cornered the guy that caused her grief and gave him the scare of a lifetime, after that she left, giving Masako control of herself back."

"Sounds like an eventful day. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yes. While waiting for her to appear we split up to act as couples, Monk and I played a bit of Frisbee. It was great to just have fun on the job."

"How did Lin react to this?"

"He's sick. So he stayed at the office today."

"I'm going to make a few other calls now, Mai. I'll see you for your lessons on Saturday yes?"

"Yep! See you then!"

They ended the call. He dialed another number. "Hello?" It was Lin.

"Good morning Lin, yes I know its the evening in Japan, I'm currently in Canada, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"Did you hear from the others how the case today went?"

"No, for some reason Naru is very shut up about it."

"Might be the fact they had to act as couples to draw the spirit out. Anyways, I better get to the job I'm on. Just wanted to call and see how you and the others were doing. See you when I'm back in town on Saturday."

"Have a good day, and stay safe Ri."

"Thanks Lin."

Another ended call.

"That group. They are bringing out the old me. I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. If they ever discovered what I really am...especially John...nothing against him but Catholics and magicals have never gotten along very well.

* * *

It was almost Christmas, almost Yule. That point in time where hundreds of Yule Ball invitations were flooding him from many places in the world. And invites through muggle mail to parties being held by wealthy clients as well. He sighed, writing polite declines and emailing muggles that he had to decline. At least Hedwig and Fawkes were getting exercise. Fawkes decided to stick by him after Dumbledore had died, he often fascinated humans, but he looked more like a mix breed of eagle to them thanks to his magic. His familiars, he considered Fawkes one, always seemed to pick on him together, or pick at him to take care of himself together. He swears those two are planning to have chicks or owlets soon. Maybe both. You can never really tell with those two oddly intelligent birds.

Then he got a call. It was from John. he'd check in occasionally, probably calling to wish a merry Christmas and invite him to mass. Maybe he'd go, just to relax and listen to the choirs, they always sounded beautiful this time of year. Plus, he'd never gone caroling despite knowing the songs, so maybe he'd go do that? "Good morning John, merry Yule."

"Ah, I forgot you were Pagan, Ri. Merry Christmas. I hate to bug you on the eve of such a special day, but could I ask you for help on a case?"

"Its alright, John. What troubles you?"

"The orphanage I often help at when I'm in Japan, a spirit of a young boy runs around possessing the children to play his favourite game. However, with it getting cold out, and the dangers there are, the caretakers are getting worried that the poor boy may harm one of the other children." John explained, Harry shot up from his seat.

"Where is this orphanage? I'll be there right away."

"We are meeting at the SPR office in Shibuya, and going out to the orphanage together."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

"Thank you so much, Ri."

"Anything for children."

"You have a good heart, Ri."

John hung up, his tone betraying his relief everyone would help him. He packed an overnight bag, dressed in his regular attire, choosing to wear white, icy blue, and icy purple colours that shimmered in his clothing. The shirt looking pearlescent with the shifting colours as light hit it differently. He slipped on his white trench coat, almost identical to his black one, and braided a bit of his hair. He slipped a bit of chap stick on, to prevent his lips from cracking, and left for SPR with his minimal equipment.

He brought his professional grade rune equipment that he was gifted by Bill last Yule, a pen that wrote with his blood, a rune carver and rune burner, so he could carve, draw, or burn runes onto surfaces. He also had charm paper and rune paper, two papers meant to channel charms and runes. He arrived at SPR by apparating behind the building in the alley he found last time he was here, remaining unseen by people as he entered. The others were surprised he got there so quickly, but pushed it out of their minds, he was there, that was all that mattered. Mai arrived last, packed as lightly as him and slightly out of breath from running from the train station to the office. "Thank you all for coming, thank you so much!" John was positively gleeful, Harry gave him a gentle smile rarely seen by people, which took them back a bit in surprise since he usually had a very serious or blank expression.

They got into the two vans, one was the SPR van and the other was John's, Harry rode in the front with John, with Monk and Ayako in the back with some equipment. Lin, Naru, Masako and Mai were in the other van with the majority of the equipment. When they arrived Harry admired the beautiful church building and comfy looking orphanage connected to it. The children here were playing in the park. They exited the vans, greeting the caretakers and nuns with polite greetings, Harry replied with the Yule greetings instead of the Catholic greetings, he had adjusted to his family's culture very soon after he found out about it. He had bad experience with Catholic people who believed he was a devil, and Christmas was never enjoyable until his Hogwarts years, even then, most of his joy had been orchestrated by Dumbledore's careful planning to keep him a pawn. Yule was much more simple. Give a gift or two, honor your family with the log burning, and then enjoy the presence of your living family and friends.

The nuns respected the fact he was Pagan, and invited them all inside. The children swarmed him at first, along with Mai and Monk. Monk fascinated them because he was tall, so they tried to climb up him and drag him down to their level. Mai was just a sweet girl, so they took a liking to her easily as she played a bit with them. They were fascinated with his clothing, and he made a note to donate some clothes he had made for himself over the years that may fit some of the children.

In the meantime, he learnt that they had much fabric that got donated, but no idea what to do with it. Harry offered to take measurements of the children and make each of them an outfit if possible. Mai offered to help, as did Ayako. Masako said she'd stop by with her old kimonos, maybe some of them would fit the children. They were brought inside, and asked to watch the children for signs of possession. Masako commented she felt the spirit of a young boy, and the caretakers told them about Kenji. "Kenji was a sweet boy, left here by his father who was unable to care for him because he needed to work in a town over. He sent us money for taking care of the boy, and promised to be there for Christmas to see Kenji, but a few weeks before Christmas we heard he died, and we didn't have the heart to tell Kenji. During a game of hide and seek he went missing, the only thing we found was his whistle by the aqueduct out back." One explained.

"He was mute?"

"Selectively, especially once his father never came for him of Christmas."

"Poor child. I'm going to set up rune wards, we'll be alerted instantly if possession happens inside the buildings."

"Kenji mainly stays outside, he hides in the trees and hits a stick on a stone until we find him. It is what is causing us so much concern lately, we don't want any of the other children to get lost, not after Kenji."

"How far does he go out?" Harry asked after a moment.

"It ranges to close by to a bit far out."

"Does he ever leave the perimeter of the grounds?"

"No, never has. He refused to when he was alive, saying that if he got lost when he left his father wouldn't be able to find him." One of the nuns explained.

"John, I am going to set up a simple yet complicated rune web. Inside the buildings, then outside the perimeter. This will help us locate Kenji should we need to, and it would alert us very quickly to a possession." Harry explained, taking out the rune burner to ensure the runes weren't destroyed.

"What is that?" Monk asked.

"A professional grade rune burner. It burns rune drawings into the surface or what I am using as a base for a rune as long as I focus my energy into it. You don't mind if I burn the runes in, do you? I can remove the burning afterwards with a small rune displacement spell."

"Please, do whatever needs to be done to allow Kenji to move on, that sweet boy deserves rest with God." One of the nuns gave permission along with John.

"Yes, I am sure nature will welcome his soul with kindness." Harry agreed, this took the nuns back a bit, but they reminded themselves he was of a pagan religion, not Catholicism.

He got to work, putting runes a bit high up to be clearly seen, it wouldn't due to scare Kenji. He wasn't malevolent, that much was obvious by the aura of the place. He's just scared, lost, and desperate. Masako seemed to realize the same thing, because she kept looking around to find Kenji to speak with the child. See if she could help him along quickly. "Are all of you Pagan, bar Father Brown?" An older child asked.

"I practice Shinto. A Shrine Maiden." Ayako told the young boy.

"I'm a Buddhist monk."

"I am atheist, as is Lin."

"I to am Shinto, as is Mai, I believe."

"Wow! What kind of Pagan are you, sir?"

"I am of a mix, mainly Wiccan."

"Witchcraft?" A nun hissed, Harry flinched.

"Call it as you will."

"Your kind is of the darkest sin."

"We are of nature."

"Lies."

"Speak as you will. Magic in nature shall lead all to peace."

"You speak oddly for a Wiccan."

"My community was old fashioned and a mix of traditional Wicca mixed with a few other Pagan cultures. Though we identify as Wiccan, we are of an older form hidden through time for safety due to the stigma Catholicism spread of our kind." Harry responded coldly, and stormed out to continue setting up his runes.

John shook a disapproving head at the nun, and asked to see her for a talk later. Then followed Harry out. He found Harry setting up a rune just outside the edge of the church property. "Ri? Are you alright? I am sorry for Sister Samantha's actions, but she is one of our oldest and old fashioned, stuck in the old ways." John apologized for the elder sister.

"It is alright, John. she is correct, I do practice witchcraft."

"So?"

"Real magic, John the very magic that sparked the witch burnings. The very magic that spreads through nature runs through my veins, I have a core that vastly expands with the potential for magic I contain." Harry spoke wistfully, done with hiding his gifts.

"Really? God graced you with gifts, and we had forsaken your kind terribly."

"You are kind, John. But do not know of what witches and wizards can do." Harry spoke, taking his wand out for effect and casting a spell that lifted John gently from the ground.

"This is disorienting, but amazing. Why hide it?"

"Because the fear of our dwindling numbers being take out by fearful non magical citizens and ostracized for our beliefs and practices, our connection with greater forces that allow us to create and defy, to take life away in an instant and cause unimaginable pain. For there will always be a balance of dark and light magic, always a grey area in between the two extremes that most of us magicals do not see. It is a never ending problem, John. Wars have been fought, blood split, and still our plight is not yet done." Harry spoke with disdain, setting up the last Rune and letting John down gently.

The runes immediately buzzed as they connected. "Kenji has possessed a child and is hiding somewhere nearby. I shall teach you how to use the runes with your energy. Focus on the presence of the deceased in the trees, feel their energy and let it guide you. But you have no need to touch the runes. This is how magic amplifies runes, how I can tell anything about what happened without touching the runes." Harry explained, John did as asked and gasped.

"Yes, it is disorienting at first. But magic is widespread and useful, however hidden it is. I am surprised you are taking this so well."

"I do not think you are the first magical I have met, Ri. Many abused children say their parents hurt them because they caused freaky things to happen. That they were freaks, children of the devil, because they caused accidents when they lost control of their emotions. Some come back as adults, to say everything got better, that they were taught control."

"They would have been. Accidental magic is dangerous but normal for a young child with magic, and non magicals do not react well to those who are not understood. As was demonstrated with the burnings, with mental health issues, with the First Nations of the Americas. There are magical schools that take in children once they reach 11, that is too far late an age, but that is when they believe children are ready in Britain. I believe other areas of Europe start children at around the age of 9, and the Asian countries at the age of 7. The Americas start children in their lessons then as well.

"Wow, so it got better because they knew what they were, and learned about their gifts?"

"Yes. But they couldn't tell you how because magic is carefully hidden away for the safety of our kind. I have suggested to many parts of the world that maybe starting in with the young generations of non magicals, and explaining that these gifts are completely normal, would help ease Magic into society. Japan is a country that has agreed, and that is why more children come forward with their gifts now to their parents. And why some incidents with spirits are accepted so well with children. We believe that magic is a way to combine with technology that will help further a better future for the generations to come, John, this is why I can tell you these things without repercussions. You do not hate me, do you?" The green eyed teen asked.

"What you have told me is amazing, Ri. And I'm glad that you told someone to get this off your chest, it must be hard holding it in around us. I can offer this advice, tell the others, sit us all down and tell us everything you wish to. You've helped me as well, now I can tell some of these children what scares them so, that they are not freaky, that this is natural for them. You've given me something I can help children with until they go to these schools, and I can help get the Catholics under control when it comes to stigma against Magic."

"Thank you, John. I believe I will do that soon." Harry assured the priest.

They went looking for the spirit, finding the others already there, and John quickly said a prayer that drove Kenji out of the little boy he had been possessing. "We found him because he hit this stick on the stone."

"How fortunate you found him so quickly. The runes are now up, you know how to use them, yes?"

"Touch them and focus." Pretty much all of them spoke together, Harry nodded, and helped get the child inside the church to prepare for the mass that night.

Harry, on the other hand, went into town to get a log for the Yule log burning he planned to do. The log he picked out would do well once the appropriate enchantments had been cast. Upon returning he found that same nun who had hissed at him earlier. "You and a few children here, all weird and freakish. You go deal with the boy who's caused accidents here, and I'll see if your nature based witchcraft does any good." She hissed, and then stormed away.

"A magical child here? Well, I won't be having another Tom Riddle forming under my watch." Harry muttered, using his magic to feel out two small presences of underdeveloped magical potential. Two. Either someone was pregnant here with a magical child, or there are two extremely young twins here.

He followed the presence to the main church area, he did not bow to the alter, not believing in such things, John did, however. The priest came up to him. "What brings you into the church? Your wards haven't gone off, right?"

"That nun from earlier, she hissed at me to deal with a boy causing unnatural accidents. And not Kenji. It makes me think that there are magical children here, which would not be uncommon after the war I spoke of. But I sense two here, are there twins here by any chance?"

"Two sets. The Secluse twins and the Moir twins."

"Can I see them both?"

"Yes. I'll go get them right now." John spoke, then calmly walked off somewhere in the buildings.

The two sets of twins soon came bounding in. The Moir twins were both boys, while the Secluse twins were opposite gender. It was the Moir twins he was looking for. "Hey, I was told by the nun that some accidents have happened here around a certain child. But, I have a feeling it's two. Can you tell me which ones you are?" Harry asked, but he already knew that the two Japanese boys of the Moir name were his focus.

"It's us." The set of twins he had already sensed out spoke.

"Thank you. Could you stay here with John and I for a moment? You two can go if you wish." Harry told the Secluse twins, the two ran off and the Moir twins stayed.

"Can you explain what happens to us?"

"First, how old are you."

"Six, seven by the time the new school term starts."

"You won't be returning to regular schools, kids. You have something called magic. For instance, when I was in primary I once turned my teacher's hair blue. I had no idea what had caused it. Until I was eleven, and I was told I had magic. Then I was brought into their world, learnt how to control it and it's different uses. Magic is endless, it just takes focus. When you are young, your magic is still developing at a rapid but steady rate, however, because you are unaware of it and your emotions can run free, your magic reacts because it is not in use, and needs out. When you are distressed or have a strong emotions magic reacts in some way." Harry started the lecture, the two kids looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Prove it." One of the boys demanded haughtily.

"That haughty attitude may get you killed by an older wizard one day, child." Harry spoke, levitating himself off the ground but remaining in a sitting position.

The two children hadn't noticed until John did, he looked at Harry strangely as if he'd not realized it completely that it was so easy for Harry to use magic. Then they were in shock. "There is so much more to magic than self levitation, however. As I proved to John, levitating someone else is just as easy for myself." Harry spoke, also levitating the priest.

It wasn't really a strain on him, his reserves were quite large after all. "What else is there?"

"You know most of the mythical creatures? Lamia, Nundu, Basilisk, Unicorns...Dragons?" Harry seemed hesitant on that last one.

With his life experiences though, can you really blame him? I mean, that Horntail most definitely was not happy with him. And don't even get him started on the second incident with dragons. Or his third, he wasn't going back to visit Charlie with the twins anytime soon. "Of course, but they are just myths."

"Tell that to my burns and scars." The teen remarked snidely, John's head snapped to Harr as he set them both down.

"Dragons are real?"

"And pretty much most of the features Muggles think are myths, along with many more...much more...deadly...creatures. This scar on my arm is from the fang of a Basilisk, it's why I have the king of snakes himself inked upon the skin around it. This burn scar on the back of my neck is from a Wyvern, a species of Dragon that one of my friends likes to keep around as a familiar. The thing was young and excited at that point,not was accidental. Then there are the creatures unknown. Giant man eating spiders called Acromantula, and skeletal horse-like creatures with leathery bat wings that only those who have experienced and seen death may see. A thestral. There are creatures that guard our prisons and torment the prisoners who lay within to insanity by sucking out their positive emotions, praying on happy memories. These creatures make it so cold windows frost over and an unnatural fog forms, their kiss sucks out the soul of their victim. These creatures are aptly named Dementors. There are men who lose their minds every full moon, cursed with lycanthropy." Harry was not gentle, these dangers were very real.

The children and John looked horrified. "Is this culture child friendly!?"

"Just don't go wandering on your own, too far from where adults may protect you or until you are deemed ready, watch your backs, trust few. The magical culture is outdated and archaic, still following old social rules despite being magically advanced. But there are upsides. Those men who lose their minds can actually be quite kind when their curse is not in effect. Some may turn into animals while still keeping their human mind, as I can change into one. You can transfigure objects into another, make yourself invisible, silence snores, create light from nothing, put out fires with a single Latin phrase, you'll see just how funny and wonderful magic can be, hauled pranksters take up vigil at your school. Their are objects that have magical properties, like a Penseive. They allow you to store and review memories. There are truth potions. Potions that heal bones, replenish blood without even a blood transfusion, cure headaches and immunize you against any common illness you can think of. And there are many interesting fields, such as my runes." Harry explained, creating small fireworks and transfiguring a nearby lot into a miniature moving Horntail.

"Wow! Anything else!?"

"Familiars, helpful little animal companions. I myself have a Snowy Owl named Hedwig." Harry spoke fondly, sending out a pulse of magic to ask Hedwig to find him from her hunt.

Said snowy owl wasn't very far away, instead she flew in after a minute, landing on his outstretched arm. John came over to look at the grown owl, Fawkes wasn't far behind, his true form showing to the magicals and the priest because he knew John knew. "What is that?"

"He is a Phoenix. Yes, one of the legendary firebirds that are embodiments of light magic. Fawkes is quite the prankster of a bird, however. And him and Hedwig plot." Harry warned petulantly while the two birds seemed to be laughing at him.

Harry's wards went off,alerting them to another possession. Harry felt two birds en route to the orphanage, the boys would get their letters to the Japanese magic school soon enough. He said his goodbyes and raced out behind John, who had already been on the move.

They entered the main building where a child was currently trying to get outside, John quickly pushed Kenji out of the little girl, but Mai then went blank for a bit, her energy shifted. Kenji possessed Mai.


	6. Silent Christmas Part II

**Man, my ending for Masako's Plea must have been horrible, for there were no words for me to read. *sigh*, I'll try harder, promise.**

Harry was shocked. Kenji had switched who he possesed extremely quickly. And many time limits were approaching. There were five hours until the time to burn the Yule Log, and 11 hours until Midnight Mass. Naru looked utterly pissed, well...as pissed as Naru could look. The girl was latched onto Lin, a sight in itself.

Naru ordered Lin to watch Mai, and dragged the rest of us outside. "We need to find Kenji. There is a reason why he keeps running off to hide. He wants to be found. He's hinting at us to find him, not those he possesses, but him." Naru explained.

"To find him, we need to think as he did in his last days. He was an intelligent boy, that much was obvious from how he hid, how he knew to hit his stick on the ground if he wasn't found in time." Harry stated.

"Let's play a game with the kids, then. We'll say we hid something, and that the kids need to find it." Monk suggested.

Harry nodded in agreement, and was off before Naru could say anything else. The older teens and adults watched the children carefully. Their eyes following where the kids looked. It hit Harry first. Whenever he had to run from bullies and hide, he always went up. Because kids were so small, they never thought to look up! Harry flicked his head upwards, almost expecting to see a small skeleton peaking out somewhere in the church. Too his relief, Kenji was not inside the building. Would tracking magic work on a corpse, even if it was only to be a skeletons by this point? Probably not, but it was worth a shot later, once they managed to get Kenji out of Mai.

Monk and Naru quickly caught on as well, Monk was horrified. The boy climbed somewhere, and never came down. Harry had one thought, he knew where Kenji was. The caretakers mentioned the scaffolding that reached up the church when it was pretty much finished had come crashing down the same night Kenji was discovered to be missing. Kenji was outside the church, up where the statues he had ignored hours before were. How could he have missed something so important?

His wards were buzzing, he had to tell everyone about his magic, at least those of SPR, but he wanted Mai there to know as well. He went outside to look, and spotted the small boy's skeleton very quickly. There he was, huddled up. Probably due to the fact he must have died from hypothermia. At least the boy's death would have been mostly painless, he would have died after losing consciousness due to the cold.

His wards screamed at him. Kenji had run. Something happened. He raced to where Lin and Mai were supposed to be, but rather, found them all outside with Lin telling them Kenji had run off after he snapped at him that he wasn't the kid's dad. They all split up to look for Mai before Harry could tell them the wards could find her relatively quickly. Scowling, he took to his animal form, an elegant quick, pitch black Falcon with his eyes and the scar across his chest barely visible. His wings looked sharp and his beak deadly, his talons allowed him to perch easily on a branch near the group. He knew where Mai was, and knew she was safe for now. Kenji was hitting his stick on a stone, the sound echoed, then it stopped. Kenji must have climbed a tree now, hinting to where he was.

He listened in on them by the aqueduct, they were worried that Kenji may have climbed over and fallen in, taking Mai with him. Harry sighed at their kind of foolish behaviour. And flew right in front of them, hovering as the rest regrouped. John looked surprised to find a pitch black falcon. Harry transformed right in front of them. "I know where Mai is. I was going to tell you fools that the wards could find Mai, but no, you run off foolishly before I can tell you. No. You don't stick around the listen to me." Harry spoke in a cold tone, but they could feel a warmth and amusement behind his words.

"Is she safe?"

"In a tree, but yes."

"Lead us to her, Ri." Naru prodded, Harry led them to tree Mai was in.

And pointed up.

There she was, Monk climbed up to get the girl. "Kenji, your father died. That's why he couldn't join you on the Christmas. He's waiting for you, but we have to find you. Where are you, Kenji?" Naru asked.

"I also was going to tell you I know where he is. Kenji, you are on top of the church, aren't you? Nestled by one of the statues. Trapped because the scaffolding collapsed, and you couldn't get down. You couldn't call for help, because you couldn't speak, you lost your whistle climbing by the aqueduct. It's alright, move on, Kenji. We'll give you a proper burial." Harry assured the boy as they stopped in front of the church, Kenji pointing to where he was.

Ayako and Masako gasped, there lay his skeleton. So young and yet taken from life. Mai was still unconscious when dusk was falling, Harry was being pestered about how he turned into a falcon of all things. However, he refused to answer until Mai awoke. For him, she woke too soon yet right on time. Harry dragged them all outside to join him for the log burning, his Latin phrases going over the heads of his friends, but they knew he knew what he was doing. And that he wasn't doing anything wrong. They felt warm and comforted by the energy the log and Harry were giving off. Love and prosperity. A blessing by those deceased.

Mai began to cry, everything coming crashing into her. Harry held her close and sent calming waves of magic to her until she calmed down without passing out. "Kenji, I saw..."

"His death. It's alright, Mai. Things will be alright." Harry spoke, transfiguring a small wooden figure into a fluffy kitten stuffy which he gave to a stunned Mai.

Mass was still two hours away.

"You just...how did you do that!?" Ayako exclaimed, Harry smiled.

"I'm what's called a wizard, the female counterpart a witch. We are beings who command magic, a sentient yet docile force of nature. The gift runs through blood, and the potential for magic depends from magical to magical. I was sick of hiding it from you, we've known each other for almost nine months now. We've been through many dangerous situations together, I'm sure all of you have been confused with one instance during each case. And how fast I travel. It's all magic. We are a hidden society, secretive due to the past, where we were hunted for our gifts and burned, stoned, drowned." Harry began.

"The witch burnings were actually...?"

"Sadly, yes. Many new generation witches and wizards were killed in that time. It was why our society created schools, magical children would be taken in those times, hidden away until they could control their abilities for their protection." Harry answered.

"Why reveal yourself to us, if you hide for safety?" Naru asked.

"We are going to try and integrate ourselves slowly, and since you all already know of special abilities that come with the paranormal, how much of a stretch is magic?" Harry responded to the younger teen.

"You mentioned a war when you first talked to me, what did you mean, Harry?" John asked, remembering his first encounter with Harry's ever present ability.

"It was just that. A literal civil war in magical Britain, mainly around England and Scotland." Harry answered.

"What was it about?"

"Let me take you a few steps back, if we jump right into how my generation was involved, nothing will make sense. I'll start at the very beginning, and explain some concepts to you. It starts with a half blood child named Tom Marvolo Riddle, the child of one extremely inbred pureblood witch, and a muggle. A non-magical person. Named for his muggle father, Tom Riddle, his mother Merope Gaunt died during childbirth, leaving him in an orphanage run by Catholic nuns. He grew up being starved and beaten by the nuns and other children for his 'freaky' abilities, he caused accidents and people around him got hurt. He was accused of being a devil's spawn, but the boy stayed strong. Becoming cold, calculating, and charismatic. Manipulative, sly, and with a bleeding ambition to prove himself above his tormentors. Then, when he was eleven, a Professor of Hogwarts named Albus Dumbledore comes along. He introduced Tom to the magical world, and suddenly, Tom has a way he is better than his tormentors, the muggles. He is above them because he has magic. By this point, he had extraordinary control over his magic, which would be all the more terrifying in the future, since he was performing everything without his wand, the main focus magicals use to cast magic. Any questions so far?"

"What is Hogwarts, and what is the relevance of this professor and the boy?" Naru asked.

"These two have everything to do with the story thus far, and in the future they are major players in the chess board the war was played out as. And Hogwarts, despite its name, is one of the three main magical schools of Europe, a place where magical children spent seven years, fourteen terms, learning magic, with the summers and winter holidays off." Harry answered.

Then he picked up the story. "When Tom reached Hogwarts, he was discriminated against because he had a muggle parent, but despite that, he was sorted into the house of the purebloods, Slytherin. A house that embodies slyness, cunning, and ambition. Three traits Tom had in huge quantities, and quickly became an established player, he made his way through the ranks, was top of his class in theory and practical work, and eventually made prefect and head boy. By this point, Dumbledore was the Transfiguration professor. After he graduated he worked at a dark artifacts and books store called Borgin and Burkes, before dropping off the map. Dumbledore eventually became Headmaster of Hogwarts, and later on my parents and their friends began Hogwarts."

"Before you continue. What is Slytherin, half blood, pureblood, transfiguration, prefect and head boy entail. And how does this store play in?"

"Ah, alright. Hogwarts has four houses, per say. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, named after the four founders, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff, and Salazar Slytherin. That last one plays a major part in the story later. The traits of each house and the colours are distinguishable. Hufflepuffs wear black and yellow, they embody loyalty and hard work. Ravenclaw wear bronze and blue, valuing wit and knowledge. Slytherin wear silver and green, they embody cunning and ambition. Gryffindor wear gold and red, they value bravery and chivalry. Purebloods are wizards who have had two magical parents for generations. Half bloods are those who have one magical parent and one first generation magical or muggle parent. A first generation magical, or muggleborn, is someone born to two muggles. Squibs are often pureblood children born to two magical parents. Transfiguration is a field of magical study. What I did to get the cat plush was transfiguration. Changing the composition of matter, most often temporarily unless anchored. Self transfiguration includes how I turned into that black falcon. I'll explain more fields later. Finally, prefects were older students who helped and watched over the younger years, as well as patrolled the halls to watch for misbehaviour. They could take points and give detention if needed. Head boy and head girl were positions given to two prefects who were the best in their studies and duties, and completely embodied their house traits usually. As for Borgin and Burkes, it comes in once more later a few times. Quite funny, actually." Harry answered.

"What happens next in the story?"

"My parents attend Hogwarts, and up until their fifth year, everything in well and dandy. My father and his three friends at the time, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew, created a group of pranksters named the marauders. They nicknamed themselves Prongs, Moony, Padfoot, and Wormtail after their animaigus, their animal forms. My father a stag, Sirius a grim, Remus was a werewolf so he didn't have an animaigus, and Pettigrew a rat. I'll admit, they were quite the bullies to a Slytherin in their year, Severus Snape, who happened to be the best friend of my mother, Lily Evans. My father hated Snape, but loved my mother. See the conflict? It was in that year, that two extremely terrible things happened. The first one, was my father and his friends went too far, and Snape ended up calling my mother a mudblood. The discriminatory term for a muggleborn, a slander and insult of the worst degree. And later on, Sirius set up a very dangerous situation on the full moon that endangered Snape's life, because Remus had transformed. Sirius did save Snape in the end under the Whomping Willow, damn tree, however, it only worsened their relationship. And Snape's grudge carried on to even this day. The Whomping Willow is a sentient tree that can move its branches to hit and crush any students or really just anything that gets in its way."

"Wow, that is a reason to carry on a grudge. How is your father and his friends taking it?"

"Well, the story isn't done yet. Because of losing my mother due to the big fight in their fifth year, Snape joined a group called the Death Eaters, a dark magic using group that aimed to kill all muggleborns and have only Purebloods rule society with a few exceptions for half bloods. This faction was led by Lord Voldemort, aka...Tom Marvolo Riddle. Oh, also, by this point, Dumbledore had been headmaster of Hogwarts for a few years." Harry explained, having to pause dramatically for fun when revealing who Voldemort was.

The people in front of him looked at him in disbelief, their faces shocked. "Dear lords, why use a French name that means Flight from Death?"

"Because if there was one thing that Tom was afraid of, it was Death. He aimed to make himself immortal and rule Britain, also, it was an anagram made from his given name. Try it out, it actually works."

"How did you find all this out, Ri. You talk about this man as if only you know some of these details."

"The story continues. One of the major magical wars took place during World War II, under the reign of Dark Lord Gellert Grindlewald, well...until Dumbledore defeated him. Tom made that war look like child's play. he slaughtered whole communities, killing all those who stood in his way or for fun, forcing some dark oriented families to join him or die. Dumbledore led a faction for the light, a Vigilante group that was named the Order of the Phoenix, as that particular creature embodied the light, and Fawkes the Phoenix just happened to be Dumbledore's familiar. My parents and dad's friends were in this group. Along with young aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom, newlyweds. My parents also announced their marriage soon after, after having gotten together in their sixth year. During the climax of the war...a prophecy was made. A child was prophesied to be born at the end of the seventh month that would destroy the dark lord. It just so happened that my parents and the Longbottoms were to approach full term in their pregnancies during that month, both families went into hiding." Harry continued, his voice staying a dark tone as he continued the tale.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this..." Masako muttered.

"The Fidelius Charm, a charm that makes the location or a place and or people completely unknown and unplottable to any but those who are affected and who keep the secret, the secret keeper, and those the secret keeper tells. Anyone else cannot speak of the location of the affected persons or places even under duress or torture, only the secret keeper could speak or write the location of the affected. My parents' first choice was Sirius, to keep them safe. But Sirius said it would be too obvious to be him, and since Remus was under suspicion of being dark due to more and more werewolves joining Voldemort, even if they loved and trusted him Dumbledore would not allow it, they chose Pettigrew, a mistake that would later cost them all. Me and the Longbottom child were both born July 31, 1990, just before the clock struck midnight." Harry spoke, his voice becoming slightly shaky.

The others were horrified, as if realizing the prophecy either involved him or the other baby directly. A horrible fate. "How do we know this is truth?" Naru interrupted.

"I could quite literally show you the scars, all of them, that I will describe. I can show you every single memory I describe. And, I can take you to the locations and show you the items I will describe as this very long story continues." Harry rebuked, anger showing that he would say he was lying.

"Apologies, Ri."

"A year later, I'm fifteen months old, the war is still raging at its climax, thousands have died, wizarding villages been razed to the ground, even the school was soon to become a target. It's Halloween, 1991. One of the most important days of the magical calendar, the day dark magic and rituals, runes and creatures are at their strongest. The day the ghosts and deceased can clearly speak with their descendants and friends, their living loved ones. Voldemort struck, but not wide scale. Peter Pettigrew and the Longbottom secret keeper betrayed the families for their lives, Pettigrew having been a death eater since before I was born, the other secret keeper threatened by Pettigrew and then killed by him, Frank and Alice were targeted by the three LeStrange. Brothers Rodolphus and Rabastian, and Bellatrix LeStrange nee Black, cousin of Sirius Black, my godfather. They tortured the Longbottom adults to insanity, essentially orphaning Neville Longbottom, and leaving him to his rather oppressive grandmother and great uncle. Whereas Voldemort himself attacked my home. He killed my father first, striking him down with an unforgiveable curse that killed instantly, and then going after my mother and I. He burst into the nursery, my mother pleaded to spare me, kill her but spare me. By killing her, he invoked ancient magic that made his magic wish to comply. The green light rushed at me next, however, it was thrown back at him, hitting him and destroying his body, leaving nothing but his disembodied spirit, his ashes, his wand, and his robes. I was left an orphan with no other magical family, and the scar marking me as the prophesied child in the eyes of the magical community lay upon my forehead. A lightning bolt shape that also resembled a rune. It is faint now, since the magic keeping it noticeable and unhealed completely was destroyed in my seventh year, but it can still be faintly seen if you look closely for it." Harry ended the first part of the tale.

He showed them the scar, all of them took in the silvery sharp bolt shaped scar, Masako could feel the residue of an oddly shattered soul on it, a residue that continued to fade, almost completely gone. It would take maybe another month to dissipate completely, the leftover energy that is. The main cause was long gone, at least a year. Wasn't Harry seventeen. "You were seven?"

"No, my seventh year of schooling, in the summer I'll be eighteen, its almost been a year since Voldemort was destroyed for good. Dumbledore, meddling old coot he was, invoked my blood and mother's sacrifice to raise blood wards that would protect me against any outside forces trying to harm me as long as I was a minor and stayed within the house it was keyed to. That did not mean I was protected from what was inside, namely my magic hating muggle relatives from my mother's sister Petunia, the extremist husband of hers who was attached to catholic belief, and their son, a bullying spoiled pig named Dudley. I'll skip to the month before my eleventh birthday, I prefer not to speak of what happened to me before that year." Harry spoke, shaking a little, mass would start in two hours now.

"I should continue after mass, there is only two hours until then. This is a happy occasion, and here I am telling a very depressing story."

"No, please, continue. We want to understand, it will haunt us less if we have time to reflect during mass and after it, instead of being distracted by wanting to know the rest of the story." Monk reasoned.

"All right. It's June, Dudley's birthday, Petunia raps on the cupboard door to shriek at me to wake up and cook the perfect breakfast for Dudley, she'd have nothing less than perfection on his birthday. I would be getting none of the food. Dudley's 37 presents were stacked high on the table, one hidden from view under all the others, the baby whale counted them greedily while I served their family and went to the corner to hopefully be ignored. Dudley whined and was about to throw a tantrum because he had one less present than the year before, then he was promised two more the abate him. Vernon, the uncle, was proud of the whale and encouraged his behaviour. Petunia also endorsed her son, thinking he could do no wrong. Then they got the call saying Mrs. Figg, my usual babysitter and someone placed by Dumbledore to keep an eye on me, she's a squib who comes in again later, had broken her leg and was unable to look after me. Despite how they wanted to leave me in the cupboard, they brought me along to the zoo, and after getting a friend of Dudley's, we were off."

"How is this day important?"

"You'll see. It took a while, but we eventually came to the reptile house. And despite it being Dudley's birthday, I was enjoying myself. I'd never been to the zoo before. Dudley went over to the Boa Constrictor they had there, and rapped sharply on the glass to try and get the poor snake to do something despite multiple signs saying to not disturb the glass, and quickly grew bored of it when the snake did nothing. I went over to it next, merely to admire the snake's beauty when it hissed at me, however, I could understand what it was saying and respond in the same way. Our short chat was interrupted when Dudley noticed what the snake was doing, seeing as it moved and came closer to the glass since snakes adore those who speak their language, Parselmouths, or as snakes called us, Speakers. I was shoved out of the way, and in my anger my accidental, uncontrollable magic tied to emotions, caused the glass to vanish. A common thing done by magicals to objects, believe it or not, and the snake pretended to threaten Dudley before leaving the reptile house to escape. When Dudley said I had been speaking to the snake, once him and his cohort had gotten over their shock, I was punished dearly for causing his precious son to be in danger despite my having done nothing wrong, only protecting myself truly. I didn't know that yet, however, and so I went not knowing what I had done wrong, or even if I had caused the vanishing glass in the first place." Harry finished the day's events.

"But what was so important about telling us that?" Lin asked, an uncommon occurrence really.

"The fact I could, and still can, speak to snakes."

"It plays a part later on right?"

"Skip to my birthday, the Hogwarts acceptance letter comes with the mail I was sent to collect, I was shocked that a letter had actually come to me. Unknown, bullied, "delinquent" Potter. Vernon rips it up, saying he'll have no freaks in his house. The next day another letter comes, and the amount of letters coming daily grows. They boarded up the windows and chimney once letters flew through in the hundreds. Whoever it was, they certainly were determined to get me this letter. Then, Vernon had enough, it's August 30th, and he moves us to a lighthouse in the middle of a body of water I cannot remember. Later in the extremely early hours of the morning, loud banging sounds. Waking the baby whale, I had already been awake, seeing as I was left to sleep on the cold floor, and did not wish to get sick. So I moved constantly to stay warm and avoid getting sick. The banging continued, alerting the older Dursleys just as the door fell down. And the largest man I had ever seen stepped inside with a bushy beard and long animal skin coat, holding a slightly squished box and bright pink umbrella." He spoke fondly, one of his favourite memories was this day.

"Then the adults came down, Vernon with his shotgun threatening the man who growled at him to put his gun down, introduced himself as Rubeus Hagrid, and then when Vernon readied a shot he bent the barrel with his bare hand, Hagrid, I mean. See, Hagrid was half giant, so he was much bigger than the average tall man. He told me happy birthday, despite it being belated, and gave me the box, inside was the first birthday cake I had ever gotten. He told me I was a wizard, that I had magic, and took me from the Dursleys with my consent after he gave Dudley a pig's tail for eating the cake Hagrid brought for me, though I didn't get any because of the pig, what happened next completely made up for it. Hagrid first took me to Gringotts, a goblin run wizarding bank. And I found out my parents had left me a trust vault, however until later that's all I knew they had left me. I found out I was famous for killing the dark lord as a baby earlier on the little journey. Then we went back to the Leaky Cauldron, the wizarding bar that the entrance is located, sorry for not mentioning it, and bought me a popular wizarding drink called butterbeer. Non-alcoholic, despite its name. It's like a float, really. And continued shopping. After getting my supplies from multiple stores I may get to show you one day, he dropped me off at Kings Cross Station and gave me a ticket for Platform 9 3/4 to get to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express. However, he did not tell me how to get on the platform. It was then I first met Molly Weasley, who had her sons show me how to get to the platform. Through a barrier between platform 9 and 10, it was magically enchanted to let you through onto the magical platform for the beautiful crimson steam train known as the Hogwarts Express. Upon boarding, I found a compartment, and soon enough I met the youngest boy of the Weasley family, Ronald Weasley. We talked for a bit after he saw my scar and confirmed who I was, before a muggleborn named Hermione Granger came in asking if we'd seen a toad. Why? Because Neville Longbottom had lost his toad." Harry trailed off with a chuckle, Neville really was unfortunate when he was younger.

Clumsy and shy. "The Longbottom boy? A toad?"

"Yes, that Longbottom. And toad's were one of the three animals you were allowed at Hogwarts. An owl, cat, or toad. I have my beautiful snowy owl, Hedwig." Harry answered, she fluttered in just then, landing on the back of the chair he was in.

Mai looked at the owl in fascination. "Is that her?" She asked.

"Yes, hello dear. This is Hedwig. Fawkes shouldn't be too far behind. Whatever. Upon getting to the platform in Hogsmeade, the wizarding village that rests on land just below Hogwarts and was a place older students could visit on weekends, and we walked up to the edge of the Black Lake, the lake that is right by the school as that houses a Giant squid, little nasty buggers called Grindylows, and Fresh water dark mers. A type of mermaid. We crossed in boats, small rickety things only meant for first years led by Hagrid. And the view of the school, the first ever those of first year get, is seeing the castle all lit up at night. Stars behind it and the castle looks grand and alive, words have no true, meaning until you've seen it. We entered the entrance hall of the old stone castle, the high ceilings and the torches on the wall giving away just how old this castle truly was. The deputy headmistress Minerva McGonagall, the then current Transfiguration professor, and someone who had been a few years under Tom Riddle when they were in school, was a stern and sever looking woman. A master in her field, she led us inside after we had a small introduction to the Hogwarts ghosts, harmless and comical, a part of history and one for each house. The poltergeist not there, but he's harmless and really only enjoys pranking people. He never wants to hurt anyone, just make people laugh. We were led inside the Great Hall. Floating candles lit, the ceiling charmed to look like the night sky shifting with colours and stars, clouds going by occasionally. Gargoyles and grand metal torches alit with strong flames. Four long, grand wood tables with benches on either side lined with students of the four houses all in their robes. The head table filled with the staff, and a stool up on the dais with an old hat sat atop it to sort us into the houses. A hat once worn by Godric Gryffindor himself when it was in its prime. Dumbledore, in his eccentric robes. Half moon spectacles and long white beard he had to tuck into his belt. You could say he was a modern day Gandalf." Harry spoke, remembering the beautiful first night at the grand school he considered his home, the extraordinary scenery and awe inspiring structure and decoration.

"You speak so fondly."

"If you ever get the chance to see, you will understand why I speak so about the grand castle known as Hogwarts. The sorting commenced, with my soon to be rival that I had met once before when getting fitted for my school uniform, Draco Malfoy, got sorted into Slytherin. Hermione and Neville were sorted into Gryffindor. Then I was called up, all attention on me, the hall silent and scrutinizing as I sat on the stool, the large Sorting Hat falling over my once glasses covered eyes and uncontrollably messy black hair. The hat wanted to first put me in Slytherin, saying I would thrive in the political based house, however, due to the dark and evil things I had heard about the silver and green house, and wanting to avoid Draco, the hat put me in the second best choice. Gryffindor. The house burst into loud applause, McGonagall, the head of house, looked particularly pleased I was one of her lions. Seeing as my parents had been in the house of the brave. I should warn you the stigma against Slytherin was strong. And the feud between Gryffindor and Slytherin was vicious until I ended it with Draco and a few others later on, sick of the stigma and blatant racism or blood that went on in the school, but that didn't happen until later."

A knock sounded, and a nun came in telling them mass was starting shortly. Then she left. "I promise you I shall tell you the rest of the story later. You deserve the full story. And this is only the beginning." Harry spoke, allowing Hedwig to perch on his shoulder as they entered the church, and John opened up the mass.

Harry had to admit, the children's voices were all very lovely. And very fitting for the night.

\+ OMAKE! This chapter has been a bit depressing, how about we skip a bit ahead and see why Harry really doesn't like dragons

And So, Harry Potter VS. The Wyvern

"Hey Harry, why don't you like dragons? Bar the whole fourth task and all." Ayako ended up asking after seeing his very annoyed expression at the mention of dragons by John.

"You remember the dragon handler that is an older brother of Ron's yes? Well he finally decided to get a familiar, which just so happened to end up being a Wyvern. A subspecies of dragon that is much smaller than actual dragons, growing the almost a tad larger than Fawkes. However, this one was extremely young and excitable, had never been off the reserve before and was itching to explore. One thing you learn quickly about that species is that they are very excitable and playful. Not a good combination for a teenager brooding after a war studying runes. Charlie, however, thought that a visit to the reserve was just what I needed. So he had the twins drag me there. And oh dear, did they drag me by my arms through the blasted floo to the reserve. Upon arriving, should what dragon that I happen to run into first be? Why, that damn Horntail of course. Lets just say that jacket was quickly lost to flames, and that dragon quickly lost its other horn in retaliation. They grow back eventually anyways, for fun, I cut off the half grown other horn. Horntail without horns. I was half tempted to remove the thing's tails and legs and see how it reacted to me being much stronger than the beast. But the twins and the handlers separated us, knowing our pasts, extremely quickly."

"So where is the Wyvern?" Mai asked.

"I'm getting to that bug. Charlie decided maybe I'd be better around the smaller species, which just so happened to include his favourite wyvern in the mix, his familiar, of which h had named Balthazar. He called in Bal for short. Bal immediately attached himself to me, scrambling over my body to my shoulder. Which I really didn't mind, he hadn't ruined my clothes and hadn't done anything to me in the past. However, that quickly changed when I stayed still for too long, and he ruffled my hair. I didn't react, my hair was already messy still, a little extra mess didn't really matter. Then the little rat jumped all over the place, knocking off my glasses, it was then I decided enough was enough and had my eyes fixed, then the thing rammed me from behind, scrambled up my back, and perched on my head. By that point, I was a little pissed. What happened next still infuriates me. The thing actually lifted me up by my shirt, flew over to the nearby pond the dragons tend to have their young swim in, and dropped me in. So then I was swarmed by baby dragons. One mother dragon noticed that I was doing nothing but being dog piled by young dragons, and actually started to mother me dammit! She picked me out of the dog pile by the back of my shirt, put me in her nest, and kept me there without letting me leave until the handlers found me and got me out. I swear to god, if I ever see that thing again...I was promptly chasing said Wyvern when I spotted it again. Charlie henceforth said Balthazar and I are not allowed to be in the same room alone or even with supervision until Balthazar gets older and calm down like most dragons do. I have a feeling that thing and I will never get along. You can imagine the literal and verbal curses I threw that day. More than once I've been told I had my mother's explosive and cruel anger, with a bit of extra creativity thrown in thanks to my prankster father, but just as cruel and vicious as my mother. It was said she was famed for throwing fireballs. Isn't that ironic?"

The SPR group merely looked at him exasperated. This kid.


	7. Forbidden Pastime Part I

**Hey, still no shared ideas. I find myself slightly disappointed. Anyways, anyone get any laughs out of the previous chapter? I know I had a blast writing it. And yes, I have changed the dates of the cases around, they are currently in early summer.**

Forbidden Pastime Pt. 1

June 3, Early Morning

When Harry stopped in for his weekly visit with Mai on how to utilize her powers, and then afterwards in private trying to help Nary reign in his own so that is he were to use them they wouldn't potentially kill him, he actually had not expected to see a student wearing the infamous Rokuryo high school uniform. "Mai, who is this?"

"This is a student from the high school that's been on the news recently, he's here to renegotiate their case. He says things have been getting worse!" Mai explained, sounding worried.

"Your case actually interests me greatly, however, we try to stay out of the media coverage as much as possible." Naru told the young man.

"I know what you mean, the news vans are driving everyone up the wall." The student spoke.

"You leave the news people to me, they'll recognize me from when I unfortunately had to work on camera with Masako, they'll know they aren't wanted. Remember what I told you of my anger?" Harry reminded the other teen, Mai smiled, remembering their long discussion split into three parts on Harry's quite frankly terrifying life story.

"So, will you take the case?" The young man pleaded.

"Mai contact the others and tell them of the case. Harry, please deal with the media, I will speak to your principal." Naru spoke up, Harry nodded and left the office to apparate to a block near the school, he had familiarized himself with the area since the school was becoming such a problem, he had considered going in himself, but now SPR had an official case, meaning he'd get paid for his work.

Mai had quick calls with everyone, informing Naru that Ayako would be in soon with Monk, and that Masako and John were a day out. Naru had arranged everything, they'd head out to the school that day. Harry came back saying the media scrammed when he showed, the young man was quite surprised that Harry worked so quickly, however, he left to return to school. "I also arranged us some magical accommodations, to make the most of whatever small space we are given." Harry informed them once the student had left.

"Oh?"

"Wizarding tents, with pretty much luxurious living space inside of them. Trust me, there will be more than enough room in these two things that we'd probably only need one room for both tents." Harry assured them.

"Those will only be set up once night falls, and taken down before any students enter the school, correct?" Naru asked.

"Yes, they only take a few minutes either way, and anything left inside is unharmed. Shower and kitchen space provided, plus individual rooms."

"Wow. That's great, we won't have to go to the local baths then." Mai commented.

"And we will be saving on space." Naru added, and they set off to get ready to depart for the school.

Lin opted to stay behind to wait and see which equipment they'd need, Harry would meet them there, he hated car rides. And since he finally managed to get apparating to be steady and safe for his immense magic, which disturbed his travel in the past, he preferred the fast travel. He said he'd wait an hour, and then go talk to the principal. Naru agreed to it, and him and Mai started driving soon after he vanished from right in front of them, Hedwig flying out after him, Fawkes wasn't there today. Something about a burning day cycle, Mai remembered, the dates would match up to his last one after all.

True to his word, he waited an hour to approach the school, and entered the building. He walked up to the front office and put on a small. "Excuse me, I am Harridan Potter from Shibuya Psychic Research, the Principal requested us." Harry spoke up, drawing the attention of the office workers.

"Yes, Mr. Matsuyama will be here shortly to bring you to the Principal, ah...are you the only one?"

"No, I was sent ahead to get things ready for set up." Harry spoke, he stretched out his senses, but the place was so polluted with something he couldn't make anything out clearly bar a few strong spirits.

"Aren't you young to be working?" The man at the front asked.

"Some might say, but as a graduated student from Great Britain and degree holder in demonology, runes, and mythology, I'm right where I should be. Thank you for your time, I believe that...is Mr. Matsuyama?" Harry ended, pointing to a huffing middle aged man.

The one behind the desk nodded. "Why was I called down here, those scammers from that research place aren't supposed to be here for another two hours." The man spoke gruffly.

"Apologies that I was sent ahead to deal with the media, if you hadn't noticed they vacated a little while ago, and to assess the rooms we were given to arrange equipment properly. I am also to get permission for rune work and to assess the amount of potential witnesses to paranormal activity within these esteemed halls." Harry spoke respectfully, giving a small English bow.

"An Englishmen?"

"Yes, may you lead me to the principal, Mr. Matsuyama?" Harry moved the conversation along.

The man nodded. "How old are you?" He asked, starting the walk.

"18, soon to be nineteen in the Summer. Though I have graduated and have multiple degrees. One in runes, one in mythology, and one in demonology. The paranormal comes with experience, not many wish to teach it, for people call them scammers and insane." Harry hinted at the man's rude comment.

"You speak much more formally for even a foreigner speaking Japanese, why?"

"I feel it necessary in such a highly credited school, be happy I address you by your name and Professor, that would just be embarrassing for you, seeing as here you are referred to a sensei most often yes?" Harry commented with a smirk, they entered the principal's office.

"Mr. Matsuyama, what brings you here early?"

"This...young man...is here from that scam you called to deal with the school scandal." Matsuyama hissed out.

"Good sir, do refrain from calling us a scam. I referred to you with respect and I would prefer you show the same courtesy. If you do not, you will not like my more...foul tempered and unrestrained sarcasm constantly directed at you. The paranormal is no joke, do be careful unless forces unseen smite you, and they so dearly can." Harry warned him in a dark tone, eyes glowing with hatred already but keeping up the polite air.

"Damn Englishmen."

"Yes our history is not very nice, but at least redcoat as the past, its much more insulting." Harry started, being polite yet also condescending.

"Matsuyama, just lead the kid to the rooms and have him settle, we do not need any extra media attention." the principal rudely interrupted.

"Dear sirs, do refrain from being rude, this was a conversation between Mr. Matsuyama and I, despite this being your office you did nothing to stop us before we talked. Also, I am eighteen, almost nineteen. You have no grounds to call me a child." Harry snapped, glaring at the older men.

Needless to say, those two learned their place around him at least. He straightened the room and moved some things around to make the set up of the base more convenient. He enlarged the cork board just a tad, and moved it into a corner. He set up enough chairs for the entire group, and set the tents and the bags he brought with him holding personal effects in the sleeping quarters they got. He's so lucky he brought those tents. He noticed the lack of coffee, tea, and food they'd need, and so he went out quickly to restock for a few days, including chocolate from a Honeydukes outlet he found in the nearby magical outlet. Those always calmed distressed people down, and the hot chocolate form he found would help with Mai and Masako should they be shaken by an experience and just need a warm beverage and blanket. He picked up a first aid kit with more extensive coverage, and some warm blankets for any victims suffering shock. While he was at it, he stopped by the magical outlet again and got some more rune and charm papers, he had a feeling he'd need them because the doubted that those men would allow him to burn or carve runes on school property. And he'd need to hide them from the students and teachers to make sure they remained unfound.

Upon returning he sorted everything out, setting out the bowls of healthy snacks and fruits on the main table, setting the first aid kit and the blankets in the nearby cupboard, set out the tea and coffee, and well as hot chocolate there. Then he put a small bowl of sweets for Mai and John's sweet tooth, and the one he developed occasionally when stressed as he was sure he'd become. With that finished, he got to work drawing out runes with his brushes, occasionally looking up to see a student looking at him drawing out the odd symbols. He set up a ward around their rooms that would alert him to any kind of intruders, and he knew he carved the anti-tampering and anti-stealing runes on all of their equipment already. He began to set up the rune web on school grounds, covering every room on at least two walls, and while it took a while he mapped everything out and created a map on a piece of paper that would let everyone know where the runes were and what they were for, that way no one would be confused.

The principal came in, having seen him setting the papers up above a window briefly. "What are those odd symbols you are drawing all over my school!?" He demanded.

"Those, dear fellow, are runes. They allow me to detect and disturbances, alert me to any tampering and theft, and they tell me if someone has crosses the threshold of our quarters. Please don't disturb them, they can give a nasty shock should they be damaged. Though they aren't harmful, its just shocking and a little bruising." Harry warned, opening the window and seeing his colleagues pull up.

"My colleagues are here by the way, the runes picked them up. In fact, Kazuya himself already entered, with Mai and Hosho following after him." Harry told the man, just as he got called over the intercom that he was needed at the office.

Harry smirked, the man puffed up and looked at him with suspicion. It was soon after he heard Matsuyama insulting his colleagues and targeting Naru that the principal informed the students of their guests and that they were not to interfere with anything they set up, including the papers with those strange symbols that cover the school.

The student that came to them before, Osamu Yasuhara, startled at seeing Harry, but shook it off. He already knew the man somehow traveled fast after all. "So, what's first on the list?" Monk asked.

"Collecting and interviewing any witnesses to activity here at the school." Naru answered.

Yasuhara offered to collect all the students that witnessed anything in the school, and Matsuyama snapped to make it quick since he had places to be.

"Actually, you may leave now, Mr. Matsuyama." Naru addressed the man coolly.

"It's my job to manage and watch the students. I'm not going anywhere." The man snapped.

"Actually, you are. Students are not dogs, they do not need to be constantly watched like puppies or misbehaving three year olds. Plus, as they are witnesses they are clients, and clients get privacy." Harry broke character to coldly lecture the man, he reminded Harry of Snape in the early years he knew the man.

Before the war with Voldemort escalated to horrid proportions. The man left in a grouchy mood, telling Yasuhara to not be late for his next class. "I could round everyone up for you?" Yasuhara offered.

"That would be helpful. Here, take this list of students we have compiled." Naru spoke, picking up a small black folder no doubt filled with pages upon pages of names and handing it over to the Student Council president.

A scream rang out in the hall, no doubt coming from the nearby classroom. Harry stretched out his senses to find his whole rune ward bar the ones around their rooms had been destroyed. He couldn't tell anything because of how much spiritual energy permeated the school. Harry grabbed up some chocolate and a blanket, then raced out of the room first, quickly followed by the others. A terrified and crying student was backed up against a wall under the hall window, staring into the opened door of the classroom she was facing. Mai and Harry raced up to her, Mai asking what happened and Harry wrapping the blanket around her and giving her some chocolate. He turned to help her with her leg, which had quite the nasty dog bite-

Dog bite? In a school? Wasn't a dog mentioned by whispering students he heard? His head shot up just in time to see the girl pointing at the black miasma covered dog as it leapt viciously past Monk and Naru into the air, vanishing. Harry spotted Matsuyama in the crowd barking at the students to return to class despite them all clearly being in shock of what had just happened. Fear permeated the air around them collectively. Harry looked into the classroom, and Naru talked to Matsuyama about them all being witnesses therefore his clients. Harry stormed up to the man, grabbing his collar and shoving him up against the wall. "What did I say about the runes? Well!? I see the bruises on your hands you idiot! That many being destroyed in one hour by someone without an inkling of spiritual ability could have sent you to the hospital! It could have endangered everyone! YOU TORE DOWN AN ENTIRE RUNE WARD! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO SET ONE UP IN SUCH A LARGE AREA!" Harry yelled, shocking strength keeping the now terrified middle aged man against the wall as he stared into burning, lethal looking green eyes.

"They were a distraction to the students!"

"Oh? They were a distraction hmm? Maybe if you didn't hide anything from them they wouldn't be so distracted now would they Matsuyama? Those runes are for protection. There is so much negative miasma around here it messes with the senses, those runes are the only way of detecting any spirits whatsoever you large fool. You are NOT to touch the next one, and I personally will be charging your school for the ruined ward. The first one is free, the second is not! The papers needed are not cheap. And this time, I'm burning the runes into the walls, you will not be able to remove them because I will put up other runes around the ward runes that will harm anyone with intent to disrupt them. Meaning you'll get a much nastier shock than what these little runes gave you." Harry spoke in a hushed, snappy and cold tone, his eyes sharp and lethal still.

Monk and Mai had taken the girl that had been attacked to the nurse's office, Harry let the foolish man go to go collect his tools from his bag. Naru walked with the rightfully pissed teen. "Are you alright, Ri?" Naru asked, showing uncharacteristic concern.

"Yes, but the fact he did exactly what I told him not to do despite my warnings, hid hands are proof. The energy of the runes was all over him. The miasma and energy from multiple spirit gates opening is messing with my natural senses, Masako will fare better I am sure, but I will be completely dependant on the wards, as I'm sure you all will be as well. Send Mai to me please, if you will. I need some help with the runes and maybe I can teach her a few things. If I have not finished setting the runes over the school again within an hour, start the interviews without me, I shall send Mai back." Harry informed him, taking his toolkit and starting in the very hallway they came from.

Mai came soon with a ladder to help them put the runes up a bit higher than before. Harry taught Mai the runes he needed her to draw, making her practice on a piece of paper and then having her go draw them in the next room with his old rune burner, he used his from his professional grade kit because he'd be doing the complex repulsion ward. They somehow finished after just a little over an hour, and the wards and runes thrummed with energy, he heard a yell of shock coming from a classroom as they passed. he looked in to see Matsuyama holding paint to cover up the runes, but his hand was not appreciating his efforts, the electrocution trap worked. His laughter reached the man's ears, but Harry was unaffected by the man's weak glare, and Mai stuck her tongue out at the man before following him.

"Mai, tea." Naru's voice spoke up, he'd probably felt the runes, and used them to track him and Mai through the school. Harry nodded at the students seated in the room, seems Naru was just starting. "What have you seen at this school?" Naru asked.

"Well, I was sitting in the language lab, listening to a tape I'd made for a homework assignment, when I heard voices in the background that weren't mine. I turned up the volume, to see if I could figure out what it was, but all I heard was laughter and static that got louder. I then realized the laughter wasn't coming from the tape, and looked around to see if anyone was laughing. I suddenly got the chills and locked up, feeling something by my legs. All I could remember was thinking 'no way' before a child's hand grabbed my knee. I screamed, alerting everyone to it, and the child's hand disappeared. I told the teacher about it, but she didn't believe me."

"Has anyone else seen this little kid?" Naru asked.

"Yes, pretty much everyone's been touched by him, and everyone but the teacher seems to hear the laughter that bubbles up every now and then." Another girl answered.

"Is there a possible age you can give us to the spirit's appearance and behaviour?" Harry further inquired.

"Really young, I'd say 5 to 10 years old, he's just a prankster really, he hasn't hurt anyone or damaged anything. Just gives everyone a fright." Another girl answered.

"Is there anything else that you have seen?" Naru asked.

"There is that unopened locker."

"The anatomy model that moves on its own.

"There is always odd noises not coming from instruments in the music room!"

"The incinerator in the basement!"

"They say if you open the incinerator door an old man's face appears!"

"There is that bed in the nurse's office! The second one down, you could be the only one in the room and then suddenly there will be another person in the second last bed in the room!"

"Then that horrible dog that pops up in any classroom and attacks everyone!"

"Ladies, slow down! So many and we haven't even really started yet! Its the first day!" Monk exclaimed, getting overwhelmed.

"There is one other thing...some say they've seen Sakauchi."

Harry's interest was suddenly swept up, Sakauchi, he'd heard that name before. "Oh yeah, its been whispered back and forth. They say he'll appear in the doorways or in the hall, someone ran into him." Another girl commented.

"Who is Sakauchi?" Naru asked, the mood became grim.

"Sakauchi was a freshmen student here last year, but...he committed suicide last fall. Come to think of it, all these incidents started occurring once he died. You don't think Sakauchi is causing everything, do you?"

"And then there was his suicide note, it was so short...but everyone understood it."

"What did it say?" Naru pried gently.

"I am not a dog."

Harry understood the kid's message instantly. Matsuyama was a screwed man, causing a suicide. "With a man like Matsuyama and that principal and these other strict and cruel teachers, I have no doubt more than Sakauchi has thought of suicide, how many others other than Sakauchi have taken their lives?"

"It's in the school records." one girl whimpered, you could tell they did not wish to speak of it further.

Once they had left, harry made some of the hot chocolate for everyone to calm their anger and nerves, Mai had left, but returned with a large stack of school records of students that had committed suicide since the incidents started, Harry paled. This school was horrible. "This school is run like a boot camp. I haven't seen a single person with coloured hair or accessories, not even personalized notebooks or bags like Mai had." Monk fumed, Harry agreed uniforms sucked. Yasuhara entered the room, Harry poured him a mug since he'd been so helpful so far.

These kids hated school.

"Yasuhara, have you been a victim of these incidents as well?" Naru asked.

"Yes I have, on top of seeing that dog, there was something that happened a few days ago. I did mention things were escalating? I was in class when this horrible, nauseating smell permeated the room. one student asked to leave the room since he was beginning to feel ill, Mr. Matsuyama told him to stop trying to get out of class, but more complaints arose, most wanted to go to the nurse thanks to the smell making them that sick. One student had enough, and ran out of the room covering his mouth, Mr. Matsuyama barked at me to retrieve him as if he were a dog, yet once I stood up I felt the effects of the smell and had to kneel down to stem the dizziness and nausea I felt. I was then treated with a 'Not you too Yasuhara, enough of this nonsense.' and a detention for acting ill."

"How horrible." Mai commented, Harry nodded in agreement.

"well, we should probably head on over and see this classroom. Maybe we can find a logical explanation for this one? At the very least I could work some more runes to clean the air around the school, that way smells don't incapacitate students again." Harry spoke up, Naru nodded and motioned for Yasu to lead them to this room.

Harry smelt it immediately, they hadn't even entered the room yet. "Prepare yourselves...its pretty nasty." Yasu warned, opening the sliding door.

Harry only resisted gagging or throwing up because of what he'd seen and smelt in the past during the war. Monk and Mai, however, reacted immediately. "Ugghh! It smells like fish that's been left to rot out in the sun for two days!" The man exclaimed.

"No! Its worse! It smells like a stagnant pond full of frogs and swamp decay in midsummer!" Mai argued, the two raced to the hall window and opened it to get some clean air.

Harry powered through it, and put up the air cleaning runes. The scent cleared quickly, but the runes were under strain keeping the air clean. "The runes will hold for now, but they will probably break by tomorrow. Lets open all these windows and check the vents to make sure the cause isn't those before moving along. Ayako and Lin are set to arrive soon, if how late the evening is getting is any indication. And I still have to set up our sleeping areas so that they are efficient and properly protected." Harry suggested, the others nodded.

In the classroom, two girls were speaking, but Harry ignored them for now. "Don't you think its weird that so many odd occurrences are happening at the school?" Monk commented as he checked another vent, all of them were clean and unaffected by the smell.

"Séances maybe?" Mai suggested, remembering what Harry taught her about it.

"That is possible, Mai. However, unless most of the students here are spiritualists, I do not think it possible that the students themselves could summon so many prevalent spirits." Naru followed on that train of thought.

"If performed incorrectly though, the doorway could still be left open at the end of the séance. What if there were gates left open, and all these spirits seized the chance?" Monk offered.

"We know there are things here, but with the amount of spirit gate energy I and the runes are picking up, I'd say hundreds of séances have been performed here over the course of the past year."

"Is he talking about Orikirisama?" One of the girls whispered, trying to keep her voice down.

That drew Harry's attention immediately. As Moody always said, Constant Vigilance. Something he takes to heart from the many bits of advice he got from Moody's rambles. Alastor was a good ally and mentor when the time called for it. "What is Orikirisama?" Harry asked, the two girls froze, and when he set a glare on them, they answered.

Monk went off on them for Ouija boarding, and once asked exactly how many people did it, Harry had his answer to the spirit gate energy. Monk sent them on their way after lecturing them on the dangers of what they were doing, and that they were never to do it again. And to also spread the word, though...they doubted that it would be heeded until harry got his hands on them. And when he did...oh well. The teen's scary side was something to be reckoned with, he was not a person you would want to cross. He'd hunt you down and no one would ever find your body, heck, they wouldn't even know if you were dead. Magic is scary like that, but excellent if they need to quickly disperse apparitions that tend to the physical side, or if they run into creatures from Harry's realm.

They returned to base, and Harry went into their rooms. He began to seal the entrances to anyone but themselves using magic, that way they'd be completely safe from discovery of the tents and intrusion. He set the two tents up, making sure the rooms were blank and tidy bar his and went outside to meet Ayako who was quite freaked out that Lin could remain silent for an entire three hour car trip. Harry merely laughed, saying next time he'd take her with him on the apparition roller coaster. She debated it that was a good or a bad thing, but took him up on the offer. Anything was better than sitting with Lin in a silent area for long periods of time.

Seems Mai had explained their living arrangements already. Everyone gathered in their base. "We will have to wait until Masako and John arrive tomorrow morning, in the meantime we need to set up the cameras and microphones, and I need to pit protections around them less Matsuyama or a student, or any other teacher or principal decide they are too distracting for the students." Harry explained the situation to the two other members, Lin picked up on his hidden anger.

"What happened, Ri? I noticed much more intricate rune work on the walls as we passed. one was for a toned down electrocution defense?" Lin asked, having remembered a bit from the rune lessons Harry and given them at one point when they began to share their abilities and knowledge to become more familiar with ach other so they'd work more efficiently and have more trust in each other. Needless to say, they'd all learnt a lot about each other, and while not everything was known yet, they were definitely closer after the share circle. Naru even commented once they were done that it was the most he'd seen Lin talk in years. Lin responded that it was the same for Naru, especially on the topic of himself.

"Matsuyama tore down my entire ward not even an hour after I had pit it up, and this school is massive with two sets in each hall and room. You can imagine just how hard it was the first time around. And all because he felt it was too distracting for the students! He has called us scams, doubts our abilities, and thinks we are all scamming children looking to get cash out of a scandal the students started!" Harry ranted, letting out his anger. "At least these ones are protected." Mai added positively, amusing Harry and dissipating his anger.

Yasuhara comes back, offering to help again. Naru originally wanted to send him home for the night, but decided he could still be useful and had him helping Mai set everything up now that Harry confirmed they were the only ones left in the building bar the janitor, who would lock up around midnight. Harry would stay behind to set up the runes, with Monk protecting him as he worked on the intricate wards he'd need to set up along with the safety precautions for the cords. And Ayako would stay with him and Lin to set up the base.

As they worked, Mai was uneasy being pretty much alone in the dark. It wasn't until she saw Sakauchi, that she realized there was so much more to this. And he vanished. Rooms away, Harry felt a ghost's presence by Yasu and Mai, so he quickly finished and had Monk come with him to check up on the young teens, they were fine. But Mai was shaken, having seen the very teen they were told committed suicide last fall.


	8. Forbidden Pastime Part II

**Well, part two of this crazy adventure at Rokuryo High School.**

Harry woke up in the tent that morning ready to start the day, he got breakfast ready and set out places with cups or mugs depending on the morning drink preference. For most of them it was tea, but John and Monk preferred a strong kick of coffee in the morning. He placed warming and preservation charms on the meals, and would brew the drinks just before everyone exited the tents. Sure enough, everyone was drawn out by the smell of food, and Naru by the tea Harry enticed him with from his room. Believe it or not, the man is a horrible first-thing-in-the-morning person. They talked at the table of what had happened the past day, John and Masako sat down with them soon after they arrived. They were used to Harry bringing food at this point, so they had refrained from eating on their way from the airport that morning.

"So where were you and Masako, John?" Harry asked, having been unable to speak with them while they were gone.

"An emergency case in the Philippines, a restless spirit was wreaking havoc on a small Catholic village, specifically young men." John answered.

Masako seemed confused, her head tilted and mouth covered by her kimono sleeve. Harry already knew what was wrong. "They are there, yet unseen. You know they are here, but you cannot see them or get their definitive positions and distinctions. Right?" He asked her, she knew what he was talking about.

"Yes, it is most strange." She responded.

"What is, Masako?" Ayako asked.

"The spirits here, I know they are there, there are many of them. However, I cannot see them despite knowing they are here." Masako informed the rest, everyone else was a bit surprised.

"I think the Spirit gate energy here is what is causing the disruption in our senses." Harry told them, fingering an odd ring he had put on that morning, one he had wanted to refrain from wearing.

He didn't want all three in the same place, the Hallows, he means. He doesn't want to be the Master of Death, and to avoid the claim he must never have all three in his possession at once for even a second. He will only do so if he absolutely must. He has touched all three on separate occasions, seeing as one was give to him when he was eleven, he got the ring off of Riddle, and he disarmed Draco for the Master Wand. The ring would help him get a better sense of things through the lingering and still being continuously freshened spirit gate energy. "Spirit gate?" Mai asked, she hadn't heard this yet.

"Portals, from our world connecting to the spirit world. Séances would leave this energy behind, however there is so much of it, this séance is being performed daily. I can only assume that one or two students here are spiritualists that have been left untrained and hate the school more than the other students here, which is saying something seeing as they all harbour hate for this place due to the people in charge." Harry explained.

"So you are saying we can't rely on yours or Masako's excellent sensory abilities at all?" Ayako asked to clarify.

"We know they are here, that there are many of them, that there are new one pouring in constantly before vanishing and others vanish to, others are stronger than most, some feel more dangerous than others." Harry clarified.

"Do you know where they are?" Monk continued.

"Roughly." Harry spoke in a light and airy tone, as of sighing.

"Only one spirit truly stands out. That of a young boy who seems trapped here by the school. He's confined, has strong emotions, he's bitter at the school. He is definitely a suicide victim." Masako spoke, Mai seemed to recognize the description, mouthing the name Sakauchi as Naru handed the medium the file of the young man.

"This is him." She confirmed.

"So Sakauchi is definitely here, and I believe that Mai already knew that." Harry teased.

"Only in a dream, he just stood there. Quiet, mouthing words I couldn't hear, he was smirking, cold, with a bitter expression in his eyes and features." Mai spoke with a bit of disbelief.

"You are clairvoyant, Mai, confidence in your abilities will help further your studies. If you could start keeping a journal of any dreams you have, I can help you differentiate between actual dreams and clairvoyant visions." Harry told her, sliding over a light purple notebook with green stripes and white lettering with her name on it to her.

"I am not so sure the school is keeping him here." Naru spoke, turning towards the board with the many places mapped out for incidents. A magnetic whiteboard with a map of the school on it and some red magnets had been provided by the school that morning upon request last night.

"Are you saying Sakauchi-kun is behind all this?" Yasu asks, he'd joined them just a bit before.

"Lin, how did last night look?" Naru asked.

"There were three areas with noticeable drops in temperature. Classroom 3-1, Classroom 2-4, and the Language Lab. No unusual images recorded. Three places with sounds. The Art Classroom, Classroom 2-4, and the Gym Storeroom." Lin listed out, Naru marked each place on the board with one of the flat red magnets.

"These spirits are oddly active on the first day." Ayako muttered.

"This isn't normal?" Yasu asked.

"No, not really. Most of the time spirits shy away from outsiders due to them being unfamiliar. It usually takes a day or so for activity to pick up once we arrive." Mai answered.

Naru was thinking, tapping his book on the table. "If there was activity the first day, including that apparition in 2-4, that dog, that is an indication the spirits are not afraid of us, nor are they weak spirits. Lin, check the Biology lab again, and today I'm going to check out that incinerator." Harry spoke.

Lin checked the tapes. "The Biology Lab had some shaking of a couple preserved samples, and the anatomy model shifted. Why indicate...that room is cold. Was cold, you may want to mark down the lab Naru." Lin spoke, directing questioning at Harry.

"Those girls were quite adamant, and I heard more mutterings about the anatomy model shifting and having moved completely yesterday. I was sure that ting would shift again." Harry answered him.

"Alright, let's get to work." Naru announced, everyone stood up from the table.

"Masako, check the school for definite presences of spirits. Ayako, if you could go with her and assist her. Monk, John, if you could go to the six places that were mentioned just now and exorcise the spirits there, then head to wherever Masako directs you that would be most helpful. Mai, you stay here and talk with any students that come in, do not laze about or fall asleep, it is for your own safety, especially since you seem to be having more dreams lately that are clairvoyant, the wards will be unable to alert you to intrusion or danger should you be trapped by a Clairvoyant vision. Lin and I will investigate the more hazy areas further, Yasuhara, if you could please assist us. Harry, I'd like you to go check out any rumours around the school about spirits and us, put down any false information and explain the dangers of the runes and Orikirisama, we cannot afford anymore spirits to be drawn here. Everyone is to proceed with extreme caution, these spirits are dangerous and unpredictable. Do not tread lightly, and do not let the students or teachers distract you, especially Matsuyama. Let's go." Naru directed, everyone went to change into more appropriate clothing for their work, Harry even gave Mai her own clothes since everyone else had their own for this, she never had uniform.

She had flowing robes that were layered with silks that shimmered, the layers ranging from opaque at the bottom layers to transparent and translucent going further up, different shades of light blues and purples with a cloudy effect to them stuck to her small figure. He explained they were traditional seer's robes, the dress with flowing sleeves and train indicated the fact that seers were quite unpredictable. Everyone split up, Harry's robes grabbing the most attention due to the old fashion of them, and the many things seen from his belt hidden in pouches, the rune burner and carver, plus his brush and papers all on him just in case. A crucifix and pentacle necklace hung around his neck, the cross overlapping the pentacle since he figured the symbol in pure silver around his neck worked best to indicate his status as a practitioner of pagan arts.

As she waits, Mai starts to get sleepy, even if she's moving and organizing things. She goes to pour herself some coffee to stay awake, but just can't fight off the visions she would no doubt get. She sees the multitude of spirits, with the dream Naru showing her about, warning her of the danger and telling her to leave. She watches with horror as a spirit Ayako drove from the Locker Room, into the Announcement Booth. She sees the purple spirit, a dark and corrupted one, devour a little white soul that was in the announcement booth, than suddenly grow larger with a stronger presence. It is explained to her the dangers, and that she should stay away from the Fox Fires. She is told to continue to study warding magic from Harry and Monk, less she fall victim to a fox fire. She wakes up with Yasu asking what she understood, and she is definitely embarrassed.

In the meantime, while that was happening, Harry had checked out the incinerator. A small spirit was there pranking students, so he drove it out and placed a rune that would keep spirits from reclaiming the area. He then walked around, getting looks for his strange attire, a furious Matsuyama spotted what he considered an arrogant brat and stormed up to him. "What are you doing! What are you wearing! You are distracting the students from their studies and what they should be doing! Behaving! they are gossiping like young children and old fools!" Matsuyama yelled, the students around him glared at him.

Harry raised his hand, his eyes practically glowing. He inched his hand towards Matsuyama's collar before putting it down. "I am this close to strangling you with nothing but pure will and energy, Matsuyama! I am doing a walk of the school, checking the wards for any new dangers and listening for anything new about the occurrences here, it helps the investigation you old fool. I am wearing traditional robes of my culture, it makes it much easier to focus on rituals when the proper attire is worn, the spirits respect the religious articles more than they do common clothing. Teens gossip, it's what they do! Get your head out of your ass, this is larger than you will ever be you old grouch. If you want to be strict on students go teach at a military school! Not a common high school where people want to express themselves! Get out of my sight!" Harry practically growled at the man, who hightailed it away from the dangerous teen.

Mai and Yasu speak about Orikirisama. "So what can you tell me about...Orikirisama, was it?" Mai asked the older teen.

"Well, there are an odd amount of rules around it. You can't use the same paper twice, you have to dispose of it by burying it at a shrine. And there is a chant I can't exactly remember that you have to say while doing it and during disposal."

"Really? Why did it catch on so fast?" Mai asked.

"It was interesting, new, and Matsuyama couldn't exactly take it away since everyone hid it from him. The fad just grew."

"Do you know where it started?" Mai asked him.

"No, not really. I'll have to look into that. Oh-it's the twelfth day huh? Guess there will be another fire in the locker room then." Yasu told her, looking at the calendar.

Mai remembered the fox fire devouring another soul in the announcement booth. "I don't think it will be in the locker room this time." Mai comments.

"Then where?"

"The announcement booth maybe?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Just a feeling..."

John and Monk entered the room then, Monk immediately began to tease the two. Yasu, however, plays along quite hilariously. And John just sits there with fond exasperation at the two. "So, how did work go?" The teen finally asks, the two men then looked quite down.

"No matter how much we did or where we went Masako said she could still sense the spirits we were supposed to exorcise, they just moved." John answered, Mai frowns.

"Monk, just out of concern for how odd this is, can you teach me some more warding magic?" Mai asks the older man.

"Yeah, I know the simple runes Harry taught you probably won't hold out until you get more experienced with drawing your energy into them. I'll teach you the Chant of the Unmoveable One, here, hold your hands like this and repeat after me." Monk told her, he had her practice the chant until she got it right.

 _"_ Naumaku san manda bazaradan kan." She tried a third time, Monk told her she got it right, and to practice it a bit more. She did so diligently, they admired the robes Harry had gotten for her.

"Those robes really suit you Mai." John commented.

"Really? Thanks..." Mai was a bit flustered at the compliment.

"Yeah, just need to grow out your hair a bit more." Monk continued with a slight bit of teasing, that got her blushing even more.

Yasu joined in, acting almost like Romeo around Juliet, just without the overdone flirting and kissing. That really got her flustered, and she hoped in her head that Harry would save her from this mess soon. "Hey Mai, have you sensed anything?"

"Eh?"

"Well, when I said there would be another fire in the locker room sometime tonight, Mai said that it could be in the announcement booth this time." Yasu cut in, looking at the female in seers robes, the Monk and Priest also looked at her.

"Alright Mai! Go to sleep now!" Monk encouraged, handing her a pillow from nearby that had been dragged with a half asleep Harry earlier that morning.

"Huh? What? Why?" Mai questioned.

"In our past cases you've had some kind of dream involving the case, wouldn't it make sense for you to sleep and get more information?"

"They are just dreams, what if they are just crazy coincidences?" Mai huffed.

"Hey, if Mai is right about the announcement booth catching fire tonight, then you can encourage her to sleep for visions, if not. Leave her alone." Yasu cut in again.

"Since when did you become her manager?"

"Just now." The younger man replied with quite the grin.

"You two are just one-upping each other." John spoke jokingly, breaking the moment.

Harry entered the room, causing him to be looked at. "What? Is there something on my face?" Harry asked.

More laughter ensued.

* * *

Early next morning, at 4:32 am, Harry shot up when an extremely dark energy pulsed with malicious intent, he hurriedly woke everyone and led them to the announcement booth, Monk had thought to grab a fire extinguisher, remembering their conversation the previous day. They bared in, and Monk put out the fire. When the fire was out, they observed the damage. Yasu had stayed that night with them, having been there late, he slept in the base room after returning with a fresh uniform. He was a bit shocked, the fire was much more damaging this time. The walls were scorched, which had never happened before. Smoke was billowing, yet he didn't notice Harry putting bubblehead charms over the fire alarms so they didn't disturb the neighborhood. "Well Mai, you hit the nail on the head with this one." Monk muttered to the girl, who rightfully looked terrified of the implications.

"You are clairvoyant Mai, nothing to be afraid of. I know a friend who can help you, her name is Luna Lovegood, she's what you'd call a true seer, so she'll be able to help you out." Harry told the fellow teen, who nodded and calmed herself. She immediately went to write in the notebook the exact details of her dream, but then stopped.

"Then maybe I should mention what exactly I saw..." Mai spoke hesitantly, gaining Naru's attention.

"What happened, Mai?" Naru asked.

"First thing I saw was the school itself, I was in the hallway above the locker room. Spirits were everywhere, floating and moving about, hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. Next, a figure who looked much like you actually, started to speak, he warned me that some evil presences were here, that out was dangerous and that I should leave. I refused, however, so he pointed out a dark purple spirit, different from the rest, in the same room as Masako and Ayako. Ayako was doing her exorcism, and the spirit left the room and entered the announcement booth. There was already another spirit in the room, a docile white one that was smaller than the purple one, it covered and absorbed the smaller spirit, than grew larger. The figure explained that the spirits here were devouring each other." Mai told them.

"Is that why you asked me to teach you more warding magic?" Monk asked the girl.

"It is." Mai responded.

"Did you see any other prevalent fox fires, Mai?"

"The largest ones are in the announcement booth, nurse's office, language lab, and Classroom 2-4 have the largest fox fires, Naru."

"And the smaller ones?"

"The room beside the Biology lab and the art room." Mai told him, the teen sighed, then his head shot to Mai.

"Did you say the figure looked like me?" He asked, Mai became flustered.

"Well...yes..." She managed to get out between her flustered actions.

"Mai, only the dead or those stuck between life and death can contact a clairvoyant person to show them visions..."

"So you are saying someone who is dead is contacting me to show me these things and impersonating Naru?"

"No, I'm saying someone related to Naru is talking to you."

"It may be my twin brother..." Naru whispered.

"You have a twin?" Mai asked.

Naru remained silent, his face set hard and frosty.

"Naru, I know this may be hard, but what is his name? Mai needs to know, spirit guides change, and this could be your chance to talk to him if he is indeed your twin." Harry told the young man.

"His name is Gene. Tell him he's an idiot next time you see him, Mai. For me." Naru requested, and left the room.

"Don't worry Mai, he loves his brother, he misses him. Its probably why he's so cold too. I'll talk to him." Harry assured the teen, he walked off behind Naru, Lin following closely behind.

"What do you want now, Harry?"

"Kazuya, please, don't call me that." He spoke with a pained tone.

"Fine, Potter."

The green eyed teen flinched, and almost stopped to turn and walk off. He knew that Naru knew he hit a spot, one that he didn't need hit yet. "Call me what you wish, Kazuya. I only wanted to offer some comfort, and talk with you. But it seems you are colder than you first appear? Would you like to prove me wrong? Is the death of your twin what made you cold? Or is it your natural disposition. You warmed up and now you are closing yourself off at the very mention of this brother of yours. He could still be alive, I'd just need some details from Mai and Luna, I believe I told you of her when I explained my Hogwarts years, to be certain."

"I have Psychometry, Ri. I saw him get hit by a woman in a red car, she got out, screamed, ran over him again. Then got out and dumped his body in a lake somewhere in Japan." Naru whispered, letting it out a bit.

"Naru, his body hasn't been found?"

"No?"

"Not even a bone?"

"No."

"I may have a spell that can tell you if he's alive, or has a chance of waking up."

"What is it?"

"The point-me spell, if he's alive my wand will spin, even if it can't tell where he is."

"Will me being his twin skew results?"

"No."

"Please?"

Harry smiled at the asking plea from the teen in front of him, taking his wand from his holster upon his wrist. "I only need his full name." Harry informed him, setting his wand over his hand.

"Eugene Davis."

"Point Me Eugene Davis." Harry intoned, his wand hovered over his hand and spun slowly facing North, it hovered there.

"What does this mean?" Asked a previously silent Lin.

"He's alive, in some kind of condition, probably a coma, and he's somewhere North of our location." Harry told him.

"Will you help me look for him?"

"Of course, the others can help to." Harry told him.

In a rare show of emotion, Naru turned to Harry and hugged him. A whispered thanks being heard before he composed himself. "We should set up base, no one is returning to sleep. You should contact your friend in London, we will look for my brother after the case is finished." Naru ordered, Harry smiled.

"Old Naru is back." The green eyed teen sing-songed before running ahead to avoid getting hit by Naru.

* * *

Later that morning they sat for breakfast, Mai had only needed to do a run for some papers they needed to go over from the printer, and was making sure they were all there as she walked. Matsuyama saw her and decided to interrogate her, the girl looked like an easy target, especially so early in the morning. "Hey! Kid! I heard there was another fire last night, why aren't your exorcisms working? They didn't take right? Especially that little freak with the squiggly nonsense upon our walls. I told you, ghosts are fake, and you are just a bunch of scams. Be careful to not let this choice be your demise, your joke of a career is a death sentence." Matsuyama hissed out, touching his hands that still felt the effects of tearing runes and then the nasty zap he got when he went for round two.

"For your information Matsuyama ghosts are very real! I am not some little girl you can intimidate and your proof of the hauntings is the very incidents that have taken place recently. You act as if you hadn't seen that dog the first day we were here! Our exorcisms do not take because they are trapped, we are working on how to release them from the school! Ri is not a freak, he just doesn't like you and neither do his runes. Are you referencing Sakauchi?" Mai ranted, finishing with a question to throw him off.

"Yes, he wanted to go into the same scam business as you freaks. He probably ended up regretting his life decisions on the other side. Don't end up like him kid, go back to school. Become something respectable such as a doctor or scientist. Maybe even a teacher, you'd be good with the young kids with your disposition." The man was patronizing her, she felt ready to slap him.

Mai remembered what Masako had said, about Sakauchi being bitter towards the school, or someone in it... "You don't care then, that Sakauchi committed suicide? You aren't sorry that he took that way out from under your oppression?" Mai inquired darkly with a glare, throwing him off.

"What!? Who said that!?" He demands.

"That's what it sounds like Matsuyama, you are a cruel and careless man. You asked who, as if you were going to punish them. It was my interpretation or your words. This is a school, not military camp. Act more like an adult should towards their students! With respect and a nurturing attitude with a firm hand, but not treating them like puppies needing to be house trained!" Mai finished off angrily, just as screams began, louder than they had ever been before, more fear and terror relayed by them.

Mai felt out Harry's ward, she quickly found the energy coming from 2-4, the dog was back, and stronger than before. They ran to the classroom, and stood in shock and horror as they looked at the awful sight of a full bodied apparition of the dog from before. However, it was larger, more vicious, coated the entire room in its negative miasma, and brought with it a horrible stench of blood and death. Harry arrived, coming in and chanting something that quickly sent the dog off before it could hurt anyone severely. "Matsuyama...Matsuyama...Matsuyama...MATSUYAMA!" Harry yelled, trying to get the shocked teacher's attention.

"Y-yes?" The man tried to compose himself.

"Do you still believe we are scams? That ghosts are fake? Call an ambulance you fool." Harry growled at the man, he went off running to follow the orders.

The green eyed teen looked particularly vicious at that point in time, can't say you can really blame the man for high tailing it out of there. Harry's magic was swaying out of control, he was pissed and ready to wage war on these ghosts, that the others had no doubt. Harry on a warpath is...well...he will actually wage war f he must. Not like he hadn't done it with a vengeance before...

"Harry...if that was the same dog...how did it get so big so quickly? We've only been here for a few days now!" Mai freaked a little, regaining her voice.

Harry softened, though it was Naru who answered. "Mai, you remember saying the spirits were devouring each other. Our exorcisms must have pushed many smaller spirits to this one, who in turn consumed them- Miss Hara?" Naru was cut off when Masako dropped to her knees suddenly.

Mai crouched beside her, asking what was wrong, but she to went into a trance of sorts. Mai's ability let her tap into others, Harry and Naru realized, though she did have the talent for it herself she wasn't a full medium, but rather a clairvoyant with projection abilities. Harry spread his senses out, and had to act quickly to save Sakauchi from being devoured by the dog. Mai and Masako broke from the trace, immediately turning to Harry, who's magic kept Sakauchi safe from the reaches of the dog. Only Masako seemed to be able to hear and see him further, however, because she talked to him briefly. "Harry, is there any way to force his spirit to safety?" Masako asked.

"The only way is necromancy based..." Harry trailed off with hesitance.

"Do you know it?"

"Yes, it's how I tap into those exorcisms I do. Whatever is trapping the spirits here is like a caged ball. Give me a few minutes to set up the blood circle, and I'll send him off."

* * *

With Sakauchi's spirit safely passed on, and injured students completely tended to, the group returned to their base to have some food and go over all their notes so far. "We know that there is an oddly high amount of spirits in this school." John started.

"And that they grow stronger and larger the more they consume other spirits." Harry continued, sipping at his hot chocolate...he had forgone tea today as all the others had. Even Naru.

"So what are we going to do?" Monk asked.

"Well, we can't have Harry exhaust himself doing his ritual over and over to get rid of the spirits here one by one. But maybe we can take on the larger ones, the ones that cause the most danger right now? Like that dog?" Mai suggested.

"That ritual only works on benevolent spirits as Sakauchi was. I can't force these large ones from the plane." Harry informed them regretfully.

"Then we hold off on all exorcisms, we can't afford these spirits escalating even further in strength. For now, we should focus our efforts on finding whatever it is exactly that is keeping these spirits here." Naru informed them, they all agreed.

They soon finished, and Mai collected their dishes so Ayako and John could wash them, it was their turn. Harry, however, said they had better things to do and used magic to clean them instantly. They set the dishes away and rejoined the table meeting, when Yasu knocked on the door, asking to come in. The news he brought was interesting, to say the least. "The fad started sometime after the second term last year, not too long before Sakauchi took his own life. After that there are two routes I followed that were pretty much the same, one from the first years, and the other from the art club. The thing that bothers me a bit, is that Sakauchi was both a first year and in the art club." Yasu told them after sitting down with them, he gave Naru a small file on what he gathered, a copy of the paper used for Orikirisama at the forefront.

Lin looked at the symbols with a bit of recognition, but he couldn't quite place it. "This still spreads and more and more spirits are being summoned. Countless séances have already taken place here. I am not sure how these amateurs could summon so many spirits here, the quantity baffles me to be quite frank. We need to start gathering these papers, and find a way to dispose of them without causing any problems for us or the students. We need to put this school on lockdown so that no more spirits can be summoned here." Naru summed up their game plan for that point in time.

"That, I can do." Harry piped up.

"Or we could set up a kekkai barrier?" Monk suggested.

"That is a constant drain on the caster, my way, will be tied to a ward stone, I could use any stone on the grounds really. And it would start filtering out the spirit gate energy, making it harder and harder to summon a spirit until they can't even come within the energy radius of the school, which would be a couple miles out each way. This would be permanent, and prevent this kind of situation from ever happening again." Harry informed them, they looked at him surprised.

"Why not do this everywhere?" Mai asked out of pure curiosity.

"Well, for one, its taxing. It takes a lot of starting energy. Secondly, if two are too close to another, they cancel each other out, and leave a wide open gateway for spirits. Thirdly, if I did that, and if the barriers didn't cancel others out, well...we'd be out of a job, there would be no cases or research to be conducted. We'd all be kind of lost. Plus, some spirits are needed and good, like the tree spirits Ayako employs, they won't be able to help anything in this area, luckily, I can take this barrier down afterwards or set up a smaller one which won't affect them. But this first one will trap them and Ayako will be left vulnerable for the rest of the case. She won't be able to do much but warding magic. And Lin's shiki will also be trapped in their little pocket dimension, meaning he wont be able to call on them until we leave." Harry warned them, despite that, all of them agreed to it.

Harry would prepare tonight, and then cast the ward tomorrow.

* * *

That night on an errand to the Biology lab, Mai was trapped alone while spirits shook shelves covered with preserved specimens. The smell of formalin permeated the air, her distress was picked up on by her friends, and Harry burst in with Monk right after she fainted, Monk driving the spirits off, he sensed that Mai had panicked, forgetting his teachings due to fear and the formalin acting quickly. Harry cleared the smell and cleaned up the evidence of this attack, it was too dangerous to let the chemical gas spread further than it had.

"This gets more and more dangerous the longer we wait. Do you think...they are acting to kill us before we stop any new spirits from coming here? From closing off this area to spirits tomorrow?" Monk asked.

Harry remained silent. "No, these spirits...were doing this for pure enjoyment. If Mai hadn't come in, the first class tomorrow likely would have been the victims of this." Harry told him.

Monk grew pale as they rushed Mai from the room to be treated, this news did not bode well.


	9. Forbidden Pastime Part III

**Well, I'm sure I've kept you waiting for this one long enough, yes?**

Harry watched Mai's unconscious form, sure that she was having another clairvoyant vision. He had already cleared her of poisoning with magic, and waited patiently for her to wake. That was all that could have been keeping her unconscious after all. He remembered panicking over Luna a few times when she collapsed suddenly for visions, he had already called the mysterious girl for her assistance, she'd be there soon. Mai would need her tutelage, it would help her in the long run.

Mai, in the meantime, was watching yet another spirit get caught and devoured by a much larger, evil fox fire. And sees Sakauchi's dorm room.

Naru has enough of waiting, and walks over to her bed from the wall he had been leaning on. He leaned over her close to her face. "I know you like her, but are you going to kiss the princess to break the curse of sleep?" Harry teased the other teen, Naru popped up after realizing just how close he was to her face.

The seventeen year old glared at Harry before turning back to Mai with softened eyes. "Mai?...Mai?...Mai, are you awake?...Mai?" He kept asking, she was in fact just waking up, and shot up.

The two barely avoided hitting heads, and Mai was left flustered as usual. Harry saw this as an opportunity. "Oh come on Mai, you just needed to wait a few more seconds and he would have kissed you to break the sleeping curse." Harry sighed, the two teens blushed.

And a pillow was tossed at his head, which he ducked.

"Alright, enough joking around. Mai, what were you doing walking around alone?" Ayako asked her, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"I went to go get a videotape from the Biology room, speaking of which, why am I not feeling the effects of the Formalin?" Mai answered.

Harry held up his wand and smirked, all smug and such. The normally emotionally closed off boys were acting strange, the rest of the group realized.

"You two are a little too open for comfort."

"Later." The two teens responded together, creeping them out a bit.

"Never mind that, why didn't you use the warding magic we taught you?" Monk asked, confused as to why she was even in that situation in the first place.

"I panicked, and by the time I had collected myself enough to defend myself the Formalin was effecting my state of consciousness." Mai confessed, embarrassed.

"It's alright, Mai, it happens to all of us a few times. I'm sure with practice and a few more cases your first instinct will be to use mantras and your abilities, not panic." Harry assured her.

"Did you panic the first time you ran into something?" She asked.

"I was desensitized to danger as a child, seeing as that household I was in was less than kind. For a while after the...less favourable things started, I did lock and freeze up. After that my instinct was to shut down or run away as fast as I could. It eventually became hide in plain sight, or defend myself. Until finally it was defend and kill my attackers if necessary." Harry explained, the group was momentarily angry, but as those people were dead...bygones be bygones now.

(Plus, the Potter parents would definitely be making their afterlives hell, right? Yep)

"We should go, Mai, you should get a little bit more rest before joining the rest of us. At least two more hours alright?" Monk asked of her.

"Alright."

"I'll stay with her and protect her." Ayako offered.

"If you would, Ayako." Naru thanked her in his own way, and the group, bar Ayako and Mai, left the nurses' office.

Harry knew she'd get a few more visions, and was praying that Luna get there soon so that they could arrange things between her and Mai. They split up to get a few more videotapes and to make sure nothing was out of order, Harry would be checking his runes. He knew it wasn't that hard to get rid of his defense wards, and from there his protective runes and his detection ward from there. The girl showed no signs of stirring, as his runes told him, so he returned to their rooms to call Luna in the tent, there he'd have privacy and the mirror he'd use was there.

Though it took her a few minutes to answer, she did so. "Hello Ri, how goes young Mai?" The mysterious blonde asked in her normal airy voice.

"It goes well, Luna. How far out are you?"

"You think clearly, the nargles and wrackspurts leave you be yes?"

"Yes, Luna. I am free of clouded judgement."

"I will be at the airport within the hour, and from there I will be at the school within the day. I may stop to rest, the time difference is long yes?" Luna assured him.

"Thank you Luna, would you like me to be there to pick you up?"

"No Harry, I shall be fine. I will meet you when the time is right. I'm holding the plane powder room, be safe now." Luna said her goodbyes, and hung up.

Harry returned to the nurses' office only to find Mai in a tizzy, she insisted that he and Ayako go and warn Yasu and John of the danger they'll be running into, and Masako of the dangers in the classroom she was in. Harry immediately complies, running to catch up to the two men at the first floor printing room. He knew Ayako taught Mai a new chant he'd had yet to teach her, he only hopes she'd be safe during her encounter with any more spirits, there was one in that room, just waiting for an opportunity.

Harry caught up to the two men just as they were to enter the printing room to get some papers for Naru. "WAIT! Mai had another dream! A huge fox fire is in there, with malicious intent!" Harry called out as he ran down the hall to them, John pulled his hand back from the door handle as if he'd been shocked by it.

"What? Is she right?" Yasu asked.

Harry focused through a nearby rune. The one in that room was being attacked and burned away slowly. "It's so strong its breaking down all my runes in there." Harry confessed with shock, the three teens backed away further from the door.

The building shook as if an explosion had gone off, the three dropped to the ground because debris fell, they raced towards the base to see exactly what was causing this. Harry tried reaching through the runes, but most of them were shattering by now. The energy of the spirits was overwhelming the interconnected ward, which was definitely possible. They reached the stairs and were about to start up them when the floors shook again. They heard breaking and cracking, and were cautious but quick as they raced down the halls to the base. Naru and Lin were bent over a certain monitor, and the black wearing teen raced from the room to another, when Harry caught a look on the monitors he pulled the other teens along towards the nurses' office.

The room's floor had fallen through, luckily Mai was alright. But the warping ceiling told them she wouldn't be alright for long if they didn't get her out. The noises coming through sounded like spirits breaking away at the structure of the building. Naru protected Mai from falling debris, and Harry disregarded Yasu's presence to use magic and lift the debris off of them.

* * *

"That was not fun. The whole school shook." Monk growled, John and Ayako were setting up protections around their base.

"What was it that you did, Ri, that wasn't PK was it?" Yasu asked.

"I can fix the damage in the halls, but I think it best if the principal and Matsuyama see just how dangerous these spirits are. The school needs to be put on lockdown from everyone and everything, I don't dare raise that ward with the power these spirits have right now." Harry warned them.

"No, don't fix any damage, the idiots here at the school need to learn what they've brought upon themselves. We aren't done here yet." Naru told him.

"How would you fix that damage? You don't mean to say you have construction tools with you? You only brought in a few bags!?" Yasu was very confused by this point.

"Yasuhara, sit down, we have a lot to tell you." Harry told him, he and Naru sat down with the confused teen while Monk and Ayako looked over Mai again.

The girl was flustered, because of Naru protecting her and the fact she wasn't able to drive the spirit away, but also because there were such dangers here and it was only getting worse. Yasu's head was spinning when the two other teens had given him the full rundown, the wizard was patient however, he knew it was hard to wrap your head around it at first. But the student understood, and after asking a few questions accepted it in full stride. "We should have brought you to the hospital or a hotel, or even with us. That was stupid, leaving you alone to warn the others." Ayako muttered, which was heard by everyone.

"No, Mai was right to tell us to hurry. Feel out the rune ward, it's gone. Those spirits are so strong they overwhelmed the runes and then caused this. They burned every single rune off these walls, even the ones that I didn't set up on them. The ones on the equipment are the only ones not damaged, probably because they weren't seen as a threat. They could have been killed, walking into such a dense spiritual area strong enough to burn runes off the very base they are on. Especially Yasu and Masako, Yasu because his encounters are far and few, he is sensitive to any new energies. And Masako because, as a medium, she would be overwhelmed by the malicious intent I read off these spirits before they hid themselves again. They were looking for someone, only attacking Mai because she was the easiest target to draw someone out." Harry deducted, the others in the group grew extremely pale.

Any of them could have died. "So these spirits are very powerful then?" Asked Yasu.

"More like malicious and brutal." Monk answered him.

Mai cut in to explain what she saw the two times she was out, the spirits were continuing their course, testing their power, gearing to get out and destroy something. Or someone.

The next morning SPR was informed they were being blamed for the fast escalation of incidents, and that they were to clear out by the end of the day. Despite strong feelings against this, they had no choice. Mai however, was not done yet. "These spirits just keep eating each other without mercy! Devouring the weak and leaving only the strongest! And then those ones devour each other until only the four that exist are left!" Mai warned, Naru and Lin's eyes widened dramatically for the first time since they've known them.

"The strongest is left?" Naru reiterated gently.

"Naru, that sounds like...if...but with spirits? A kodoku?" Harry muttered in realization.

"Kodoku? One of your books mentioned that, Ri, but didn't explain it." Mai commented, calming down slightly.

"It's rare a book mentions it Mai, the fact your recognize the name is astounding, and assures me Ri and I are teaching you well. A Kodoku is a Zuzhou hex, it can be traced in origins to Ancient China, but is now practically non existent. Zuzhou can use Hitogata, talismans, and a multitude of other objects and materials. One of those things being living creatures." Naru explained for the sake of the group.

"A kodoku uses living creatures, insects and other bugs to be exact. There is an unknown type of bug called a golden silkworm, and it is found by placing a multitude of bug species into a pot that is buried in the Earth for several months. Upon being dug up and opened, there should only be one more bug left. The curse's method uses this remaining bug." Harry continued.

"You are correct, Ri. The curse takes over the house of the targeted person once the victim accepts it, usually unknowingly in a bag of silver and gold coins. It brings an enormous amount of wealth to the house owner, but in return, unless you kill a person to offer to it regularly, it will chew the householder to death. After that, it must then be transferred to the earth for someone else to find and become the next victim of the curse. Perform the Kodoku and send it with a bag of silver and gold coins. A most devious cycle." Naru finished, the others had disgusted looks on their faces, Lin remained stoic as usual.

"What happens once the final spirit is left?" Mai asked, horror barely hidden.

"It is unknown, Mai. There are factors that do not bode well. This school is already in a naturally closed off area, spiritually speaking, even if I hadn't even put up that ward it would have been hard for any spirit to take up residence here. It is also probably why none of those other spirits could leave. And there is the fact we don't know who the householder is, or who the curse is being aimed at whatsoever. It is probably the students."

"Breaking it would be simple. There are two ways, transfer it to someone else, or give in and feed it." Lin cut Harry off from anything else he was going to say.

"However, this does give us grounds to stay and try to at least lessen the curse presence." Naru spoke up, a little bit of hope entered them, and he went off to convince the principal to allow them to stay.

Lin would be able to deal with it at least, as long as it was a kodoku he may be able to transfer it to someone else and then destroy it. "We should probably organize everything we know, it could help. And this place is a mess thanks to those spirits completely rocking the school." Yasu muttered.

He was right, the base was a mess. Luckily none of the equipment was damaged, everything else was a little worse for wear. They set about cleaning while Lin went to check on all the monitors and recording equipment for any damage not detected in the initial scans. "Well, the incantations and markings on the paper are strange. There are the basics for Ouija boarding, letters, numbers, and the yes or no spots. But...instead of the regular torii arch in the middle of it, there is this odd squiggly character. Plus, there is the circle for demon around it." Mai muttered about the oddness of the Orikirisama set up.

"Demon?" Lin asks suddenly, standing abruptly and walking over.

"What is the pattern?" He asked.

"It's been so long, and I only did it once. I can't really remember." Yasu answered him.

"Orikirisama, yes? Is it derived from the incantation? On, orikiritei, meiritei, meiwayashimarei, sowaka." Lin asks another question, chanting out an incantation Mia vaguely recognized, Harry recognized it fully, however.

"That's it, how'd you know?" Yasu confirms.

"You have to bury it somewhere, yes?"

"Yeah, each paper can only be used once, and has to be buried at a shrine or something."

That sets a memory off for Mai, she digs out the journal she's been keeping of her dreams for Harry to confirm it.

"Yasu, by chance is there a not too large shrine in the area with a small torii gate and foxes?"

"You know about it?"

"She's clairvoyant, Yasu. It would have come to her in a dream if she knows of it now." Harry told him, the teen nodded.

He stood up, stretching, however, this caused his shirt to ride up.

"Oh dear! Ri you never mentioned that bad of a scar, how did you get it!?" Mai asked the green eyed, teen, seeing the scar stretching over his torso.

"Ah...well...I got hit with a nasty curse. Not the killing curse, but the cutting curse, Sectumsempra." Harry told her.

"But isn't the counter curse supposed to get rid of potential scarring?"

"In normal cases. I had been hit with quite a few curses, was magically exhausted, and survived a second killing curse just earlier that evening. It was truly a freak magical occurrence that gave me a scar after I got rid of one." Harry confessed sheepishly, earning him some amused looks.

Once Naru and the others were ready, they all headed out to the shrine not too far off from the school. Mai confirmed it was the one she saw in her dreams. The astral plane just loved to show her things alongside Gene, Naru's comatose brother. Then they heard the students they'd lectured days before coming up to the shrine that spotted them, and went to hide when Monk called them out. He grabbed the paper away from them and began lecturing them. "Hosho, calm yourself. They are just foolish teens after all. We will have to explain what this is and why they shouldn't do it when we figure out the entire situation. As for this, I believe Lin and I should have a look." Harry cut in, sending the girls off and gently prying the sheet of paper from his hand so as to not damage it.

He took a look and almost dropped it. "L-Lin...this..." He managed shortly..."This is...a death curse for the old grouch..." Harry finished out, continuing from before.

Lin took the paper and read it out. "I knew it, To confound, crossroads; to kill, beneath a sanctuary." Lin read out.

Mai made the sanctuary connection to the shrine. "This particular talisman is used to curse a person to death, you were right, Ri. We need to tell Naru this." Lin continued, so they headed back to the school quickly.

Once the situation was explained to Naru he sighed. "Someone spread this around falsely claiming it was a form of Ouija boarding, now who is this for?" Naru asked.

"The Kanji on the sides read name and age."

"It's that old grouch Hidehara Matsuyama." Harry interrupted Lin to get it over with.

"We are lucky this was cast by amateurs, I could have killed someone with only one of these." Lin informed the group.

"The school is indeed under a Kodoku aimed at Matsuyama, now the question is, what are we going to do about it?" Harry finished their conversation.

Silence fell on the group.

Naru was about to speak when the smug bastard himself came in. "So, you have no more business here. Get out, you are supposed to have vacated the vicinity hours ago. Or do you have any other sound propositions?" Matsuyama spoke with such a smug attitude Mai's worry flew out the window.

What did she care, the spirits could rip him to pieces. "You are better off knowing, Matsuyama." Naru said to him, the man scoffed.

"You are probably just figuring out ways to jack up the fee." The old man spoke with a superior tone.

"After all you have seen and experienced with that dog and the school damage, you are still such a stuck up, adult douchebag bully? Wow, I expected your kind of behaviour from schoolyard residents. You know, children?" Harry taunted him with his own smug expression.

Harry looks behind the man to see Monk with an expression of pain, his hands over Mai's mouth and the girl was absolutely furious. He almost lost it there to laugh, luckily Naru came in with a perfect performance. "Matsuyama, were you aware of the Ouija boarding around the school?" He starts off.

"that idiotic game? Of course I did." He answers.

"And you failed to inform us of this when we first got here because?"

"It was stupid, you can't summon spirits with a piece of paper, or anything at all."

"Now that's a lie, Matsuyama. Either that or you are foolishly ignorant. Spirits fuel things, sprits are everywhere. Tied here for reasons, or summoned to wreak havoc or to learn something." Harry got a laugh out of him, the pure sadism in his tone loud and clear to the group.

"You are a target of havoc wreaking spirits, this particular talisman is for a death curse, Matsuyama. Do you wish to know who it is for? It is for you, Hidehara Matsuyama." Naru reveals to the man, who goes into immediate denial.

Naru hands the paper off to Lin, who had so far had no conflicts with anyone at the school. "This is indeed a talisman for a killing curse. Takigawa, can you read Sanskrit?" Lin continued with Naru's game with the man.

"More or less." Monk answered, taking the paper to read it.

"This is ridiculous, stop spinning bullshit!" Matsuyama demanded in anger.

"Read the right side, if you would." Lin instructed, the man nodded.

"Sorry, but this can only, unmistakeably be read as Hidehara Matsuyama when translated to Japanese." Monk informed the man, handing the paper back to Lin.

"This doesn't necessarily need to be written in Kanji, Naru, if you would read the right side please. It is Kanji."

"I cannot read Kanji very well, it is not my strong suit."

"John?" Lin asked, the priest came over.

"This reads 53 years old this year. Matsuyama's appearance does fit his age." John read, then continued with his commentary.

"This started within the first years, in the art club. With someone with an interest in the paranormal." Naru informed the man, Lin still had the paper.

"So it was Sakauchi!? That damn brat! He deserved every punishment I ever gave him!" Matsuyama hissed out.

"But when you punished him, Mr. Matsuyama, he had not yet deserved anything! Yet you tore his books, insulted him, unfairly punished him harshly for wanting to go into paranormal research! Your cruel actions and pure abusive behaviour towards students here...it's no wonder Sakauchi wanted you dead!" Yasuhara yelled at the teacher, having had enough.

"Yasuhara! Detention! I'll have you scrubbing this school top to bottom tonight and a five page essay on history due tomorrow!" Matsuyama barked out.

Harry had a flashback to Snape and Umbridge, the punishments and pains he had gotten. He rubbed his hand over the area the extremely faded scarring from the blood quills had been. "I must not tell lies" could still be made out if someone looked closely. He began to laugh darkly, just under his breath, muttering about unfair punishments and old bastards who needed to be knocked down a peg or two. "These is now only one way to save you, to turn the spell back on the casters. The students. They were unknowingly doing so, but it is still more proper to do something." Naru informed the old man, who began laughing and making triumphant statements.

Harry was sickened by the man, absolutely sickened. "You disgust me. We will not be turning back this curse, you deserve the bloody and brutal death coming to you, Matsuyama. No matter how far you run or where you hide, not even the blessed grounds of the shrine or church can help you now, Matsuyama. If the curse doesn't do you in, I will make sure the spell is strengthened, and it will be alongside one of the most powerful pain causing curses I can do." Harry spoke darkly.

"You lie." Matsuyama growled back at him.

"Oh no, not at all. See this scar? It was given to me by a teacher like you, carved with a sharpened quill. Yes, quill. Can you read what it says, despite it being in English?" Harry asked him, shoving the scarred hand in his face.

"I...Must...Not...Tell...Lies?" Matsuyama read slowly.

"They thought I was lying, so she held me in detention for hours after school, weeks on end, for a whole school year in the Highlands, a private school. Made me do lines with that sentence, then forced me to sit still as she carved my hand with said quill after cleaning the ink off! You are no different than her! And she met her death with the other castle residents, the spirits. A student grew tired of her, and took the dive to kill her. You, are about to meet the same fate. Let's go tell the students, shall we? Then we'll get you ready, the spirits will love chewing you to pieces." Harry was positively gleeful, years of abuse made getting back at an abuser oh so sweet for him.

You could say his psyche is less than healthy, but perfectly healthy all at once.

"You...you're insane. I don't deserve this." The ma barely choked out at seeing the sadistic glee shining in Harry's eyes.

"You deserve what's coming to you." Harry replied quickly.

"Morally this is wrong, but the lesser evil is letting the curse be played out." John spoke regretfully.

"John, these spirits are merely carrying out another's will, and truly you can do nothing to stop this. Would you have Lin and Naru turn this curse back on the students?" Harry reasoned with him.

"I will still go for confession on Sunday, to the head exorcist of Australia." John relented, grief heavy in his tone.

"I'm sorry John, this must be a hard moral decision. Unless there is another way?" Harry spoke, feeling bad about this.

"We could try making Hitogata for the students, and turning the curse on them then so that the Hitogata take the curse, not Matsuyama. We would have to hurry, however. And after that, we turn this man over to the police for abuse of students." Naru told him after some thinking.

John perked up. "We will have to act quickly, Lin, I shall go tell the principal of exactly what needs to be done. Lin, set up the ritual needed to turn the curse on the casters. Harry, you do whatever you can to slow down the activation and lashing out of the curse. Yasu, gather everyone in the gym, and get a list of who is absent today, full lists, everyone enrolled this year or the previous year. Last year's third years could have taken part." Naru ordered.

"Yasu, you take the principal and explain the situation and what is needed. There is no way to slow these things down. We should start making the Hitogata." Harry informed the teen.

"That will be easy, I just need to get the premade ones we have on hand at the office. Will you pop out and get the box, it is next to my desk clearly labeled." Naru asked him.

"Yes, Yasu, listen to what Naru told you. Round everyone up, ignore teacher protests." Harry told the teen, and apparated out on the spot.

Yasu took a moment to get over the fact he just vanished silently in front of him, then raced out to follow orders. They didn't have much time at all. The girls went off to help Yasu while Monk and John stayed to help clear the area for when what they needed arrived. Harry came back with a large box of Hitogata, and with the ritual set up they began to properly enchant the Hitogata, with the school roster they made one for each person, making sure they got each and every student. They then took the box to the gym and were met with a multitude of students while Lin and Naru oversaw the ritual. The group in the gym explained what happened to the students, what needed to be done, and then they made sure they missed no one. They then had every student leave the school grounds for the day for their own safety and spread the Hitogata out on the gym floor. They made sure every single teacher was sat down to watch as the curse struck, and the room turned completely black. They head cracking and breaking, things being thrown about and some splinters hit their legs. When light returned to the room the Hitogata looked torn to bits, names barely recognizable.

From there they called any student who's Hitogata had not been damaged, to ensure they were fine. Matsuyama was arrested by the police after an investigation into his actions had been conducted, his teaching license was revoked. When he got out of prison he would not be able to set foot in any school to teach ever again.

It came time to say goodbye, and with some final jokes with Yasu, the group was ready to set out, however, Naru had a kind moment. "You were much help, Yasuhara. Your talent in research was a much appreciated effort in this case. How would you like to work for the SPR Japan branch? As an investigator focusing on the research side of locations and history?"

"I'd love to, you'd just have to arrange things with my school's since I'll be attending college after Rokuryo. I can't express how much I'm looking to graduation." Yasu agreed, Naru told him to be in for work the next Monday at five, they may or may not have a case by then. Or that's just when he planned on having their group leave to find his brother. He felt they could help him, and that help was something he'd appreciate.


	10. Riddle House Part I

**Alright, finding Gene! No that was not a finding Nemo joke, hated that movie. I'm planning these next few cases as a mini-series within the story. While trying to find Gene they'll take up a few cases along the way. So the Bloodstained Labyrinth and the Cursed House will have to wait a while. Sorry if you wanted to see those ones next. Enjoy! And to my lovely guest reader, I'm sorry if it's too similar, but I can assure you I did not mean to copy anything from that story. If you continue reading, thank you for doing so. If not, well, I apologized. Also, I'm taking some liberties since I'm pretty sure that I'm horribly messing up what is in Japan and what is not. Sorry, but for the sake of the story these places exist!**

Harry arrived that Monday bright and early, ready to go on the trip to find Naru's brother would be kind of long, but maybe fun all the same. He brought the tents, prepared for a road trip mixed with a camping trip, he entered the office to find Naru and Lin already there. Naru looked anxious and ready to burst at the seams, to be completely honest. "Relax, we'll find him." Harry told the younger teen, who jumped.

He must not have realized he was there. Harry was in his usual clothes, though his jacket was a translucent white material and his undershirt was just a tight white tank top. He had one white shorts instead of pants as well, green ribbons and shoelaces in his white calf height boots matching his eyes along with it. He didn't look bad though, he fit right in with the fashion obsessed parts of Tokyo. The boy took a chocolate bar from his satchel and offered him a piece as he set the tents down. Naru took the offered piece and sank into the office couch. Mai soon arrived, on time for once, and made tea for them before finishing up her schoolwork. She then settled at her desk while they made preparations for the trip, she was reading yet another book Harry had given her, she asked questions occasionally.

Due to their recent case, Harry insisted she learn about Zuzhou, so Lin and Naru answered some of her questions as well. Lin even showed her his Shiki, and he explained the purpose of one to her. Naru was merely amused on the outside, but quite happy on the inside. She was making an effort to learn, that is what he liked about her. For all he called her stupid or insulted her intelligence in some shape or form, she was in truth an intelligent young woman. She just needed to be taught. Harry and her had been having daily lessons to bring her up to speed about the spiritual realm, and with the arrival of Luna Lovegood, her own powers had been developing smoothly.

He thought about the mysterious blonde, the girl's eyes were an odd blue and looked a tad unfocused, but sharp as ever. They seemed to stare right through you. She had an airy voice and dreamy, lost in the clouds personality. Harry had told them because she was a seer her personality reflected her emotions and thoughts much more clearly, and so she always looked dreamy or in thought. It's because she was. The woman was a year younger than Harry, and shorter than the 5'7 tall green eyed teen by a few inches. Naru broke from thought, he wondered if they would find any cases along the way, Harry predicted they'd probably going towards the northern border of Japan, just to find the comatose twin of his. Ayako arrived next, she was dressed in light clothing as well, Mai had a light summer dress on but had packed other clothes as well. The priestess was in a conservative light green summer dress with a wide brimmed white hat with a green speckling of flowers along the side of it. She had taken it off when she got in, however. Masako arrived next in a light yukata due to the hot weather, and John walked in soon in a yellow tee and light blue jeans.

Yasu stopped in soon dressed much like John, just in a light blue tee instead. Monk arrived last, dressed in an orange tee and blue jeans as well. With all of them there and Luna to meet them after they had gone out for a group breakfast, they packed their bags into the two vans they'd be taking and they set off. Yasu and Mai got the time off school because they'd be taking cases along the way, work and relaxing while searching to find Eugene Davis. It would be a long trip. They had three booked already, and their first one was a few hours out.

An old Victorian home, their equipment all set in the vans as well. You could say the vans were a little overloaded, but with Harry's magic making things a bit lighter Naru was sure they'd survive. Harry was lost in thought as they pulled up to the smoothie place they were having breakfast at, Luna was waiting outside dressed as eccentric as usual. Though her clothes were light at least so she wouldn't be bothered by the heat too much. She drew looks, especially when their whole group went up and entered together. They sat down to their smoothies and cookies, their excitement over the who knows how long trip was clear. John had gotten permission from the church for this, he was helping a friend and he would be helping others along the way. The young exorcist was a hard worker, and faithful. The church was sure he'd be needed on this trip for either spiritual support or his excellent skills in the old arts.

"So where is our first case, Naru?" Yasu asked, everyone turned to Naru with curiosity, wondering the same thing.

"It is a few hours out to the North, that old Victorian style mansion that Victorian era re-enactments of life take place at. When the house was moved from lower England they say they may have disturbed some old ghosts best left alone. Whenever they re-enact things that took place or hold lessons on how they acted the spirits there lash out in anger, usually making a mess and breaking the cheap china they use, not because they are doing it wrong, but because they are mad about that era. Something that happened. They say the servants quarters areas are often messed up as well, and that any area servants would work in would be messy the next day after cleaning. They weren't worried too much because no one got hurt, but now it is escalating and a few maids have been pushed on the steps, or those who play the parts of nobles have ended up being thrown into walls. Especially the actors who play the last Lord and Lady of the house." Naru explained, breaking to sip at his drink.

Harry was looked to next, but the teen was enjoying a tart, so they didn't bother him. Luna spoke instead. "For the era had it's many misgivings, the lord and lady may have not been true to their first words to employees. Like moths to a flame they were drawn in with lies of comfort and warmth in cold England's borders." She was cryptic as ever.

"So they were lured in and then something happened to the people who worked there. Most likely torture or just cold blooded killing. Thanks Luna. When we get there we should start out by finding who had residency of the house in the past, the house will most likely have a record book in the library or servants quarters. Then we find out where in England exactly this mansion we are headed to used to be, depending on where it was from I may be able to offer some insight."

"Fanatical pure blood thinkers were cruel people." Luna agreed with the jacket wearing teen.

"How do you decipher her words so quickly?" Monk asked, trying to keep up with the two.

"You just have to be around her long enough. You'll get used to her. Anyways, we should get going, if we want to be there by noon that is." Harry finished, finishing off his food and standing up.

Sure enough they paid the bill, loaded up into the vans, and were off on their latest case. Though it took until noon they made it to the old mansion that taught old history through acting out the lives of the past. A few employees wandered about, coming in from the orchard or stables, or going out to garden or clean the front of the mansion. Some were seen from outside the glass, either cleaning windows or changing out curtains for fresh ones. It seems they were cleaning up after a tour went through. They pulled up on the large driveway made of gravel carefully, to preserve the drive and the van tires, and parked in front of the mansion. An employee dressed as a butler stepped out immediately to greet them, a woman dressed in a Victorian era dress hurriedly came out of the front doors. She looked quite distressed over something.

"Marie, what happened this time?" The man asked.

"The china, again, just lifted up and was thrown into the wall. Fifth time this week!" The woman answered him, wringing her hands.

"This happens often?" Harry interrupted.

"You must be Shibuya Psychic Research right? It happens very often, we've gone through five sets this week alone, and that's not all that gets thrown about, displaced, or just plain ruined!" The woman spoke hurriedly.

"Marie, calm yourself. As the butler of the house I'll take care of this, until work hours are over we must remain in character as much as possible, you know the rules. The next tour has arrived. If you could all please step aside, and Lady Riddle, if you could please return inside?" The butler asked.

"Of course, Terre, you shall lead our guests inside." The woman spoke, getting in character and walking up calmly to the mansion before entering, maids opening and closing the door for her.

"Before we step aside, what is your name and role here?" Harry continued.

"I act as the Riddle family butler, I make sure everything is running smoothly as head of staff just above the matron and under the Lords and Ladies of the house. My actual name is Tatsu Mikida. That woman acting the art of Lady Janice Riddle, wife of Lord Thomas Riddle, is Marie Malfoy, though she once said she was disowned from a branch family for some reason." The man spoke, as if being compelled to say the last part before he stepped around them to greet the guests.

"Malfoy? Isn't that the name of that blonde you once went to school with?" Mai asked him quietly.

"Yes, if she was disowned from a branch of the Malfoy family, originally French, and as her name suggests. Her branch must have still resided in France, and she would have been disowned for either going against family ideals or being born a squib, a magical born without magic." Harry confirmed for the group.

"How archaic and cruel." Ayako muttered.

"New laws and old laws that are being abolished or redone are helping the process of recovering magical population. Inbreeding, which causes squibs and other defects in magic and intelligence, magic doesn't allow physical deformities no matter how much inbreeding has been done within a line, is now outlawed. New blood has to come in, which is going to reduce squib births by miles." Harry assured her, she relaxed a bit.

"You still seem apprehensive, is this about the name Riddle?" Naru asked him.

"Yes, Thomas Riddle was the name of the man that spawned Tom Marvolo Riddle aka the biggest pain in my ass since before I was even born aka Voldemort. He was influenced by a love potion by Merope Gaunt, a stupid inbreeding born woman. The purely muggle blood of Lord Riddle would have balanced it and made the powerful child who later was influenced by the wrong people and the idiotic actions of the wizarding world figures due to stigma against the Slytherin bloodline which he stemmed from directly." Harry hissed out, entering the mansion with the group.

Stepping in they were greeted with the large entrance hall, at the top of the grand staircase leading to the next two floors, unlike the Gaunt, it seemed that the Riddle house had remained as it should have. That dilapidated shack that had once been the Gaunt house was pitiful. The decorations felt authentic, the aura of the house portrayed the cruelty once displayed here. A large portrait of a man looking much like an older version of Voldemort and what seemed to be a woman with slight resemblance to the actress portraying Lady Riddle stood beside him. The plaque under the portrait confirmed the theory it was them. "This is definitely him, the father of the bastard. But then, who is the ghost, or ghosts?" Harry hissed.

"Do we have any possibilities?" Naru asked.

"Merope Gaunt is one, she had an unhealthy obsession with the Lord of the House, it could servants from before the house was abandoned, or even the lord and lady themselves. I'd have to set up rune webs to be certain." Harry reluctantly replied as children walked by.

"I can confirm at least one ghost, this particular one feels like the ones in that orphanage we cleared months back, Ri." Masako told him.

"So it's either Merope, or another magical died in the building or on the lands. No one said if the land had problems, the house could have been clear when it was brought here." Harry commented.

"So to avoid wasting time we need to research the land records for burial grounds or murders?" Mai asked.

"That is correct Mai, let us not rule former buildings or villages as well, spirits could linger." Naru spoke.

"Or curses, we should start with looking through records first. That, and setting preliminary working spaces. Monk, could you find Mikida so he can lead us to the base and our rooms?" Harry asked the man.

"Yeah." The monk confirmed.

"I'll get over to the nearby library, it will have records right?" Yasu stated.

"There is a government building nearby as well. Here is the necessary permits to get files on the lands should you need further research material. The government can't turn those away." Naru told the boy, handing over a small file.

"Thanks boss, I'll return soon." Yasu told them.

"I'll go with Yasuhara, to speed up the search." Lin stated, and followed the university student out.

Monk came back with Mikida, who led them to the rooms. Luckily all in one sanctioned off hallway that wasn't used. Harry swiftly got his runes up and warded the area against ghosts and spirits coming in to the area, for safety concerns. With their base set up and cameras being warded against spiritual touch to avoid losing any footage, the group was ready for any information that the two who went off to find records would return with. Harry, being familiar with this style of home, went towards the library and found the family ledgers and servant records, which had to be repaired with a bit of magic on his part. When the two returned, they were ready to have the lay down of what they learnt. All of them were at the table with tea, since it was just what had been available at the moment.

"Let's start with the land, is it possible this land was just disturbed?" Naru asked, the two men looked at each other.

"Only three deaths happened on the property before the house came here. Two of them were hikers who got attacked by an illegal group about twenty years ago. More recently a rape and murder of a young girl named Marianne, he was seeing the sights with a friend when they were jumped by a few men, her friend got away, she wasn't so lucky. The authorities returned to find her throat slit, her body mutilated, scavengers already starting in on the body. The attackers in both incidents were caught." Yasu told them, handing them the files he had.

"We really need to get tablets, having only one laptop means we have a lot of papers. By having tablets this would be sped up a bit." Monk sighed, Naru looked thoughtful before noting the idea.

He'd be looking into it no doubt. "Getting back on track, that can't be it. The spirits here are older than twenty years, at least, that's what the wards are picking up." Harry sighed, stating what the wards told him.

"Then the spirits came with the house. There were minimal records kept of the house as it was moved here fairly recently from near a place in the United Kingdom named Little Hangleton, odd name isn't it? Records were transferred over, but it was all just legal requirements and the transfer documents." Lin huffed, disappointed in what he managed to drudge up.

"That isn't your fault, the Riddle's weren't the kindest people, very secretive, all the records were kept in the family library. I did manage to find the records and do the necessary repairs to them. They go back centuries, even keeping tabs on the servants. They are quite extensive, and the journals that could be hidden anywhere in this quite large house are numerous. Do you have the blueprints and floor layout?" Harry told them, inquiring about the structure of the house.

"Yes, and there are discrepancies around the home that do not match the original measurements taken." Mai answered before anyone else could.

"Very good Mai, the house is old, my bet is, like many other old homes and large structures in Britain, that there are hidden rooms and small passages within this house. I'll have fun finding them, because rest assured, I'll find them. I found fifty three new passages that my father and his friends hadn't in Hogwarts, I know what to look for." Harry gloated slightly, feeling proud.

"But this isn't a house with magic right?" Mai asked him.

"Ah, but magic actually makes it harder to find passageways. This will be a piece of cake. the first indication is large portraits, walls that are hollow, and uneven rugs or stone. The second indicators are peeling wallpaper, odd flow of air in a room, outlines of shapes that don't belong. Bookcases with prominent or out of place books, light furniture, and weak ceilings in the servants quarters. The dumbwaiters also could hide something. These are just the small indicators, and some rooms could be sealed up. For precaution, someone should probably go and get some medical masks and gloves, and some goggles to protect out eyes. Caps for our hair, and something to help kill any mold or infestations that may be within the walls." Harry told them, giving some advice before exploring.

"When we go into town tomorrow I'll pick some up." Masako offered.

"Why are we visiting tomorrow, other than to get the supplies needed?" Yasu asked.

"To look for evidence in the area that the house could be affecting the town, the aura here is sickening." Masako responded.

"If Merope or even Tom Jr himself were angry enough at Riddle Sr and his family, then I wouldn't put it past them to possibly curse the house. That, or the spirits aren't exactly anchored here." Harry suggested.

"No, on the contrary they are trapped. Rather, I believe the presence of the house had drawn outside spirits that use to wander harmlessly, infected them, with the negative aura, and then caused the roaming spirits to cause trouble in town." Masako corrected him.

"We'd best deal with the house first, then we can go around town." Ayako sighed.

"We need to confirm it, and get those supplies anyways." Mai argued.

Any further conversation was halted by the sound of shattering glass. Screams rent the air.


	11. Riddle House Part II

**I'm back! I wasn't dead, just swamped with work. Well, here's the next chapter for you all. Also, to answer a curious questioner, Harry was fighting for his life in that graveyard, he wouldn't have paid attention to an old rundown mansion. Rundown is the keyword, since the house was moved it was restored and so looks different. That's why Harry didn't recognize it at first. (Sorry if this is short, but I've been so...unsure of where to take this investigation.)**

The group followed the sounds to the grand dining hall where the students had been watching a formal meeting enactment. However, the spirits wanted out it seemed, and so lashed out at the actors and students. Luckily, it stopped as soon as they entered, chants to banish the spirits on their lips. "I everyone alright?" Harry was the first to ask, helping the distressed actress playing Lady Riddle up from the floor and into a nearby, delicately carved mahogany chair.

No doubt an original from the house. "The spirit lashing out was male, looked horribly ill, and seemed to want to focus on the actors Lord and Lady Riddle." Masako stated as Monk helped up the man who had makeup on to give him a closer look to the actual man.

"So the spirits are angry at the Lord and Lady, who bear enough resemblance the spirits are confusing them with the nobles who once owned the house. We really need to go through those old records to narrow down who it could be." Mai stated, slightly upset by the fact.

Naru was writing things down. "We are not even definitively sure it is only one spirit Mai." The teen stated.

"But at least one would give us a clue as to who others could be. And what time period we could be looking at." Mai argued.

"None of the sprits are under twenty years of being in this house. If I set up the same ward I used at Crabbe Orphanage, then I could get a more definitive read on the ages of the spirits, gender, and faces. Which would help tremendously." Harry offered.

"We should observe more first, build a definitive file. And we need to figure out why the spirits are lashing out, hold off on the ward, but prepare to set it up in case of need of immediate action." Naru finished that part of the conversation.

"We need witness accounts, so sorry to interrupt your trip like this. But a brief description of what you saw and experienced could help us with the case." Mai addressed the students and teacher, and the house staff.

While her, Lin, and Naru dealt with the witness accounts, Harry and John accompanied Masako on her walk of the house, while Ayako, Luna, and Monk returned to the base to watch the recordings to see if any other activity occurred while they were preoccupied. Masako pointed out the most active areas, which were quickly marked down to be closely monitored, but these spirits seemed to move and mask their presences. They spent the better part of an hour going over tapes after that, and finalizing set up of the base.

Once they were all back together, and information had been properly filed, they all sat down with tea or some other drink to discuss their next moves.

"So, the game plan has changed, this floor plan is obviously missing quite a few areas, who wants to come with me on a hidden passageways, rooms, entrances and more hunt? It will be fun." Harry asked, setting out the house floor plans.

"We still need to get the other supplies from the shop and scope out the nearby town though." Mai interrupted that train of thoughts.

"So we'll do that tomorrow first off, then search for the hidden areas. We also haven't surveyed the grounds very well, there could be clues along the sides of the house."

"And there are still more witness accounts to collet from previous attacks, and security feed footage to go over for that very reason as well, previous instances of activity." Yasuhara spoke, sighing at the end of his statement.

"Well there is definitely much to do then. Ri, what can you tell us of the Riddle family?" Naru asked.

"The last generation of the family, bar Tom Marvolo Riddle, were killed sometime around 1943. This includes Tom Riddle Sr., his wife, and his parents. Plus, who knows how many servants could have died in the house, if Luna's insinuation of abuse of servants here is true. The Riddle family was a small noble family stationed in Little Hangleton, England. Their mansion was situated right next to the Little Hangleton Graveyard, which from my memory of fourth year, is very large near the Riddle house. Other than the fact the locals did not like the Riddle family much, their mysterious actions and horrid attitudes towards others, there isn't much on them. Oh! They were very obstinate to witch craft, and even had a few burnings of young children and teens who exhibited what sounds like signs of accidental magic. Very Protestant family." Harry gave what little was known of the muggle noble family.

"That isn't much." Naru admitted.

"That's sadly all I have unless you want me to pop over to Little Hangleton. Everyone who knew the Riddle family is dead by now, what with Voldemort having staged a wide scale attack that burned the town to the ground for the most part, probably why the mansion was moved, it was one of the surviving parts of the town bar the graveyard." Harry told the other teen.

"Luna, how about you and I go into town with Yasu and get those supplies needed. There is still a few hours of daylight, and searching at night would help to avoid disturbing the educational tours that go through here." Mai reasoned, Luna and Yasu stood up after Naru gave permission.

They returned an hour later, while Harry had scoped the house with John and Monk to search for hidden areas in the house. However Naru wanted to go over the servant records, and so Harry fetched them from the library and set them out on the tables.

"So, any likely suspects as to who so far?" Monk asked after two hours of searching the multiple servant accounts.

"All the spirits in the house are older than twenty years old, which doesn't say much. But I have looked closely at all the records of the men, and found a few that match the description of the ghost we encountered earlier. Some have pictures, either sketched or old style photographs, attached to names. Until I get that ward, then it is a no go. I have crossed off anyone who hadn't been fired or had any vendetta against the Riddle family, I have included Merope and the murdered paternal family of Tom Riddle Junior as possible suspects. Turns out Lord Riddle had been ill, he could be one of the spirits." Harry noted.

"Also, any who were cremated on holy land have been crossed out of the lists we rewrote to preserve the original records." Naru added.

"Right, fire purifies spirits when done right..." Yasu muttered, quickly going over his share of the files and crossing out any new names on his copy of the list.

"That still leave hundreds of servants and generations to search over. Any insight, Mai? Luna?" Monk asked the two clairvoyant girls who had been going over the aura of the house.

"We'll have to wait, I am getting nothing right now." Mai denied.

"Same here, it is odd, but I feel I am close to a hint to the time period our ghostly friends are from." Luna answered.

"Don't strain yourself, Luna. We just need another clear look at one of the ghosts to place their time period by clothing style. Brits, especially higher class ones, cared greatly for fashion and appearances." Harry pointed out, closing up his files for the night, ready to turn in.

"Then we shall look out for spirits tomorrow morning and then on." Ayako finalized, John agreeing with the Shrine Maiden.

They turned in for the night.

* * *

Early next morning Harry was up first, he went through his morning routines, and threw on his exorcism robes. The traditional wizards style in all black may invoke spirits if they had seen the same style Tom was wearing. If he was their killer or had seen Merope Gaunt, maybe some other wizard. Luna was up next, and upon seeing Harry in his robes, dressed in hers. Mai dressed as well in the ones Harry gifted her, Luna wearing similar ones with her own special touches of course. Naru and Lin dressed in suits as usual, Masako in a decorative kimono, Ayako relents and dressed in her robes. John wore his after some convincing, and Monk came dressed in his. Yasu, the last to meet them in the dining hall for breakfast, wore a plain suit so as to look uniform with Lin and Naru.

The staff came down for breakfast, the servant staff serving everyone before sitting down to have breakfast themselves. It was Japanese of course, they weren't on business hours. Masako and Harry had their senses wide open, beckoning spirits to come take a peak. A few curious ones, docile at the moment, passed by. Masako quickly gave descriptions which Harry wrote out with a quill with flourish on parchment, the heavily protestant family had used fountain pens and thin parchments only, he used thick parchment and traditional quills. They'd tear apart the abnormality if it was them. At the end of breakfast Harry profiled some of the clothing and sketched it, getting the definitive from Masako. "This is from before Tom Riddle's time, I'd place it in the late 1800's of British fashion as a whole. Also, while searching out auras, no ghosts are older than 3 centuries, which narrows down the records. These sketches, we can compare to descriptions and photos, giving us names. Hey, Masako, is this the one you saw yesterday?" Harry pointed out a familiar profile.

"He is."

"Passed by with no problem this morning, odd." The wizard muttered.

"Wonder what could have set him off." Mai commented.

"No use dwelling on it. Let's go narrow down those records, shall we?" Monk asked.

"Wait! I found something in the library you might find useful. Medical records, of the family and the servants from the family physicians and coroners upon deaths." A staff member came up to them, the butler from before.

Naru handed the records off to Harry and sent the group off to start over the files, Lin staying behind in case an attack happened and left Naru defenceless. Harry holed himself up with said records and his lists, crossing names off and noting the most possible suspects. Though, he was seeing the pattern around the time frame. Around the third last generation of the family, the daughter of the lord, his first child, had been poisoned by a jealous servant. The girl had been beautiful, if the records and photo proved anything, uncannily she shared features that one Tom Riddle had. This caused the Lady of the house to become enraged and distraught, she started ordering whippings and beatings of servants who got too close to her children after his eldest was murdered. That maid had been killed quite harshly in secret by the family, five hundred lashes, then a tiger bench treatment which broke her legs horribly, the rack to break her back, and then she was continually cut in shallow strokes until her large injuries killed her from blood loss. She was the prime suspect ghost, having been the one with the worst death in the house records.

Sheila Drescott, an African slave.

It hit Harry, he studied the photo of the Lady of the House at the time, and the photo of the actress. That clinched it for him, this was a revenge seeking ghost that had been awakened when the house was moved. She'd been killed in the dining hall, a spectacle to make an example to the other servants, to show what would happen if they disobeyed the lords and ladies of the family. Harry continued building his case while the others did other tasks and monitoring around him. "Harry, it had been eight hours." Was suddenly cutting his thoughts.

"What!?" He shot up, and immediately sank back down in pain, the extreme stiffness being disturbed that fast was not good for him.

"Yep, what has got you so focused?" Ayako asked without any joking expressions.

"Take a look for yourself. Once again, Luna hit the nail on the head. Hey, how long has Mai been asleep?" Harry answered her.

"Three hours, she decided to try and get a vision under Luna's guidance. Judging from Luna's pleased expression, Mai has done it and is keeping cont- this is? These records? Are they true?" Masako suddenly froze up.

"Yes." Harry answered without any doubt, he'd cross-referenced too much for any of it to be fake. Plus, the paper and parchment, the ink, how much anything had faded. It was authentic, you can't fake quill scratches or ink blotting of a classic, old make feather quill.

He'd taken a look at every prop in the house, all of them were fake. And not an actual ink well in sight, not a single one. Plus, magical scans make everything easier when judging the age of an artifact. "I haven't seen her around the house, you don't think...it could be any of these servants who came through during her time and died."

"So, that is exactly 122 servants, who experienced the horror in the Riddle House after her daughter was poisoned by Sheila Drescott. Seeing as the crazy old bat died in 1903, poisoning. How ironic, hmm?" Yasu commented.

"Enough to try again with the current actress?" John spoke up, Naru's eyes widened.

"Harry, were any injuries leading up to her poisoning glass related?"

"She threw cheap china-...at the servants leading up to her poisoning."

"Did any of them die?"

"Only the butler, who was struck on the head with a heavy pot in the kitchen by her. A china pot." Harry answered, holding up the page with the servant.

"That's the sickly old man I saw yesterday throwing the china!" Masako cried out.

"Joseph Misell...One of our definitive ghosts of the house then." Monk practically sighed.

It was handy information, but it didn't tell them why they were attacking students and other staff to, or why they hadn't done anything more than throw things around yet. They decided to join a tour and see what happened, they all wore regular clothing in order to blend in a bit. They saw a couple people acting things through, and when they got to the dining room, Masako tensed. (Mai and Lin had stayed in the base, Mai still under a vision and Lin to watch her and the equipment.)

Harry opened his senses and found a few spirits hovering just beyond them, he didn't dare reach out however, it could scare them off. Sheila Drescott and Joseph Misell, the two main vengeance seekers. Then another, a chef from the uniform, was whispering with them. Pulling his file out he scanned through the chefs, Janett Misell, younger sister to Joseph, also the servant who poisoned her brother's killer by china, and a servant who was burnt to death for 'practicing witchcraft.' "So we have three spirits, all from the same time period." Masako commented upon seeing them.

"Yes, Sheila Drescott, Joseph Misell, and his sister, Janett. All had hands in the murder of the Lady and Heiress Riddle murders." Harry confirmed.

"Is this all of them?"

"The malevolent ones. The rest just need minor blessings." Luna piped up.

"Then shall we move on with the final phases then?"

"No. We still have to investigate the town. We don't know if the house is the cause, or if the town will get worse if we don't clear it up first." Ayako denied.

"Then we will just plan out the house solution, and try and seal those spirits temporarily to stop further incidents for a day or so." Naru concluded.

"Want to send them away for now, Monk, Lin?" Harry asked.

Lin whistled, and the little white manifestations of spirits called Shiki came to his call, to which they started circling the other spirits to keep them contained for the time being. "Rest for the rest of the day. Tonight we move towards the town to investigate lightly." Naru ordered.

SPR and associated partners marched off towards the base and rooms.


	12. Riddle House Part III

**So yeah, I'm back. Hopefully this will be better than the last chapter now that I'm fresh and not stagnant from summer vacation. Also, change in plans. I will be jumping to a canon case as a break in Finding Gene. Or part of it. What do you all think? Sorry for the shortness of this chapter, I felt it was right to just finish this case up.**

It was late, so late that none of the staff were around when SPR and associated partners met up in the dining hall. The spirits were nowhere to be seen, but they were around. "Is everyone ready to head into town?" Harry asked, pulling a green scarf around his neck.

"Yes, we should get going." Naru responded.

The group walked outside, waiting briefly to see if the spirits would react to them leaving. Nothing. That was a good sign. The group piled into the van and headed off, their path set straight for the town nearby. When they arrived, it seemed more like a ghost town. "Well, isn't this creepy." Ayako commented when they were all out of the vehicle.

"It feels...off." John commented, after being quiet for a while, but he was most likely just reflecting in his silence.

"Yes, but this does not feel...spiritual." Masako finished the line of thoughts, Harry let his magic spread over their immediate vicinity.

"That is because this isn't being caused by spirits, but it could be called close to a spirit. Say, have there been any reports of people turning up in healthy body, but vegetable like states of mind? Completely unresponsive with no certain cause. Any age?"

"Three reports in the past week."

"Is it just me, or did it suddenly get very cold?" Mai asked, tugging her jacket around her tighter.

Lin almost flinched upon seeing their breaths suddenly becoming visible, and the window panes of nearby shops started to frost over. The others stared in shock, Harry and Luna only drew their wands and stood ready. "These are no spirits, there are dementors beyond what muggles can see." Luna stated, oddly not in her 'dreamy' personality.

"Dementors?"

"Soul sucking creatures, guards of the wizarding prison Azkaban. They must have come with the house when it was moved. Voldemort had, at one point, made the mansion a temporary base before he razed Little Hangleton to the ground." Harry answered, he knew the foul beings were close.

It didn't take long, for the dementors to come along, floating as always with bony hands outstretched. Briefly, Monk thought this is where the Grim Reaper legend must have come from. Harry knew, this was just where the muggle belief stemmed from when it came to Lord Death. Twin calls of "Expecto Patronum" were raised, and a Stag and Hare burst forth in silvery white light.

The two patronus animals overwhelmed the dementors, and with a bit of a boost from Harry, the stag pierced and killed the three dementors in quick succession. John said a quick prayer, and Harry burnt the corpses of the soul suckers so they couldn't rise back like inferi. "The feeling has not yet faded." Masako huffed, shivering.

"The effects of the dementors last until you've been able to warm up or have some chocolate. But I know what you mean, this place...it is most definitely the aura of the house." Harry sighed, looking up, back towards the hill, where the Riddle manor stood in its tall, gloomy, gothic glory.

They figured they might as well kill some time around the town and reverse any damage the dementors did. With Father Brown blessing areas where the strongest of the effects were, Ayako helping where she could. Masako did send a few benevolent, wandering spirits on their way beyond. It was only when they were on their way back to the manor when Mai asked a question that suddenly popped into her mind. "Ri, how come you can banish dementors with magic, but you can't banish spirits completely with it, or block them out with it entirely? Isn't magic a sentient force which can interact with everything?"

Everyone froze and looked at Harry, Mai had a point. Lin even stopped driving for a second. Harry looked almost sheepish. Almost.

"Well, wizards have never really needed to banish spirits with magic, we've always used exorcisms if need be. Ambient magic allows a spirit that previously had magic to keep their minds and heart, allowing for them to stay in this realm for centuries without degrading even slightly. Such as the Hogwarts House ghosts. So unless the spirit is a wraith, which we have to delve into the Old Ways to get rid of, or a horcrux, which can only be destroyed in three ways, wizards have never seen the need or point of making such a spell."

"Yet your wards work on ghosts." Mai delved deeper.

"Because I have delved into the Old Ways, know necromancy for the most part, and I know my rune circles. Any amateur could not hope to match me with the wards I pull constantly." Harry explained, Mai frowned.

"So this is a special case of magic vs ghosts?"

"Almost Mai. Because I have a connection with Lord Death, this makes things easier for me. I've studied arts thought lost, dark, and declared illegal despite such other rumors. The Old Ways were quickly becoming outlawed. Today's magic is heavily restricted. Weak." Harry spat, Luna voiced her agreement.

"The Nargles swam them indeed." She stated.

"Sadly. I hope one day to take in pupils and teach them true magic, not that restricted BS." Harry sighed, the van pulled up to the manor as the early morning hours hit.

* * *

After a few hours of sleep, getting dressed, and making breakfast, the team sat down to discuss their strategy. "So boss, what's up first today?" Yasuhara asked.

"We deal with those spirits before midnight hits, which means from the time the actors are practicing their latest recreations in the dining hall and them leaving around midnight, our time frame is very small." Naru sighed.

"Two hours to be exact. Which means we have to set everything up beforehand." Monk groaned.

"Well, I can start drawing in the quarantine wards to keep the spirits in, a few quick talismans given to the actors can prevent any potential possessions. Everyone will be in uniform from the start, we must purify the area as well immediately after and close he area off from any other spiritual misfortune. We also need to get those spirits mad, make them reveal themselves so that they can be exorcised." Harry added in.

"Then let's get started. Mai, I could use some help with the Talismans."

"On it."

"Monk, John, begin purifying areas of the house to drive the spirits into the dining hall. Ri, you know what to do. Mai, after you are done with the talismans, begin to pack up equipment in the purified rooms. Nothing more will be captured there." Naru ordered, Mai nodded and ran off with Ayako.

Masako, Yasu, Lin, and Naru were left in the room. "Yasu, start following John and Monk, pack any equipment they leave behind and record final data."

"On it boss."

Yasu left.

"Masako, monitor the spirits, stay by Ri."

"Will do."

Lin and Naru were left. No words were needed.

* * *

Harry had just finished with the last rune for the quarantine ward he'd cooked up when the grandfather clock signaled it was closing time for the manor tours and recreations. The staff would gather in the dining room tonight right away once everything was cleaned up. Each had a talisman around their necks. The spirits would soon come into the dining room, to throw china or possess someone to recreate the past. "Harry activated the ward as soon as the spirits were inside, the actors and other staff were immediately sent from the room despite having just gotten there.

The rest of SPR assembled. Harry stayed back to focus on keeping the quite unstable ward stable, it wavered every time the spirits tried to leave. The first one to go was Janett Misell, her will to stay weakened considerably by Father Brown's exorcism.

His seemed to be the most effective. As not an hour later only Sheila Drescott remained. The enraged spirit was throwing china at the poor priest, making it impossible to keep reciting. Harry was having a much more difficult time keeping the ward stable, seeing as he had to focus magic to keep the china off him so he could stay still and not disrupt the ward. Mai was bleeding from a piece of shattered glass that had bounced up unexpectedly, Masako's kimono was stained with tea from the damn insane ghost. Monk was trying to chant but he got cut off when a plate almost hit his temple.

"Why is she so much more difficult to get rid of?" Ayako spat, dodging a heavy pot.

"We really should have cleared this room of objects able to be thrown." Harry commented, Mai and Luna just stood there like it was an every day occurrence.

"Harry, can you do anything to banish it?" Naru asked, the wizard smirked.

"Why, I thought you'd never ask. Monk, John, keep her off me." Harry requested, the two nodded and stood in his defence.

 _"Να είστε καταδικασμένοι για τις αμαρτίες σας. Πηγαίνετε από το θνητό αεροπλάνο επειδή δεν ανήκετε. Οι ενέργειές σας θα είναι η πτώση σας, η κόλαση θα καίει για την ψυχή σας μέχρι να πληρώσετε την έκτασή σας. Μετανοήστε και τιμωρήστε, επειδή οι αμαρτίες σας είναι εκείνες της θλίψης του καταπιεσμένου!"_ The spirit began to burn up, just as the spirits in the orphanage case Masako had pleaded with him on some time before.

Drescott gave one last screech, before she was gone for good. Harry kept on his feet this time however, steady, and began to magically repair every bit of damage. Luna pulled out her wand and began to assist her friend.

* * *

The next morning the staff of the Riddle Manor were saying their thanks to the hunters, they'd felt the difference in the house already. The vehicle was all packed and ready to go, however, one of them wouldn't be continuing on the trip. "It was great having you here Luna, but I understand that Britain still has much clean up, and you still have yet to find some certain little creatures."

"Yes, I will find a Crumple-Horned Snorcack!" Luna agreed, and her taxi to the airport showed up.

"Be safe my friend, and say hello to the dogs for me."

"Your uncle wolf and dogfather will get their regards, and a little kiss for Teddy to."

"Thanks Luna."

With that, the blonde left. "Crumple-Horned Snorcack?" Naru questioned.

"Luna meant a spouse right for her. I have a feeling she will find not only a spouse, but the magical animal as well. We'll see the faces of her disbelievers from our school days eventually." Harry explained, the other teen merely gave him an odd look and got into the van.

The rest of SPR got in, and Harry took one last look at Riddle Manor. He hoped he'd never have to see the place ever again.


End file.
